Mentoring High School Students About Careers in Architecture, Construction and Engineering Through the Ace Mentor Program

3MENTORING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT CAREERS IN ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING THROUGH THE ACE MENTOR PROGRAM

by Sue Veres Royal, Executive Director, ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY

Many high school students walk past construction sites and simply turn their music up and do not give it another thought. But for many, if they are allowed to visit these sites, their life goals are changed instantly—it is a light bulb moment, a moment of clarity for many of the students that participate in the ACE

Mentor Program. This experience makes their dreams tangible.

The ACE Mentor Program was founded in 1994 by a group of leading architects, contractors, and engineers in New York

City; now in its 28th year, the program has served more than 77,000 students nationwide and over 15,000 students in New

York alone. There are five ACE affiliates in New York State:

Greater NY (NYC, Westchester County and Long Island); Western NY; Upstate Albany; Rochester; and Hudson Valley with the Greater NY affiliate being the largest in NY state and the country, serving over 1,300 students each year.

ACE is committed to introducing students to careers in

Architecture and the related build industry, helping them on their path and supporting them in college and as they transition into the workforce.

In order to mimic a real-life project team, students are organized into teams and are supported by mentor teams comprised of professional architects, engineers and construction managers who walk through the process of what an architect does, while learning about the educational and license requirements to become an architect. Students are introduced to

ACE Mentor students who were part of the program at Perkins Eastman.

software like Revit, Auto CAD and SketchuUP and work together to develop a pseudo design project that they present at the end of the academic year. While many ACE teams throughout NY meet in schools, students in New York City are given the additional opportunity of meeting with their mentors in professional offices throughout the five boroughs—primarily in Midtown and Lower Manhattan —this gives them the added bonus of seeing what a professional office environment is like. For many of these students, walking into a Midtown Manhattan or Financial District office building is a brand-new experience for students, one that can be intimidating, exhilarating and instrumental in expanding their views of what is possible for their future. Diversity and inclusion are steadfast principles in the ACE Mentor Program as we work to address the stark reality that, according to NAAB, only 17% of registered architects are women, only 8.5% are Hispanic or Latinx, and only 2% are Black. While any high school student is welcome to participate in the ACE Mentor Program, outreach is focused on under-resourced areas and underrepresented students—80% of the students who participate in the ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY come from a minority background. But much work still needs to be done—study after study tells us that it is important for a student to see themselves in the person who is mentoring them. It isn’t enough to just introduce the idea of becoming an architect to a student, students need to feel welcome and included and they must believe that they will have a place in the industry if they work hard. For this reason, ACE is committed to diversifying our mentor base, but also to support our students as they go into college, and eventually enter the workforce. Five years ago, the ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY began a “Planning for Architecture School” workshop that takes place every June. ACE alumni who are currently enrolled in architecture programs at NY colleges and universities speak to graduating seniors about what to expect in college. As a large percentage of our students are the first generation in their families to attend college, conversations can range from “how to approach a professor with a question” to “how do I get my belongings to an upstate school” to “what kind of food do they serve in the cafeteria.” ACE has also created “Ambassador” programs at seven NY colleges/universities where an upper classman, who is an ACE alumni, meets monthly with underclassman to create a group of students with the shared ACE experience who can help with issues ranging from loneliness on campus to struggles in the classroom.

“One of the best parts of ACE is being surrounded by people that are in the field you are interested in! You can ask questions, build connections and have great support. I have always had an interest in architecture but being part of ACE for three years inspired me further and enabled me to see I can produce more than I realized. I feel more confident in my abilities as my experience at ACE provided me with sufficient knowledge to understand the role of an architect.”

– Ellianys Betances, Bronx, NY, Architecture student at New York Institute of Technology, 2019 graduate of Manhattan Bridges High School (a NYC public transitional bilingual high school for Spanish-speaking students that caters to recent immigrants).

Overall, ACE strives to create a network—a family—that supports the next generation of architects who will be diverse and inclusive and who can bring their own life experiences and perspectives to the drafting table and the challenges facing our society -- and who will understand the importance of supporting the generation that follows. l

Sue Veres Royal has been the Executive Director of the ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY since 2016. She has over 25 years of experience in nonprofit management. The ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY is a free after school program for high school students interested in architecture, engineering and construction management. acementorny.org

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