The ACE Mentor Program awarded $15,000 in Scholarships to local high school students during their 2017 ACE Mentor Annual Banquet on Feb. 2 at The Church on Main.
The ACE Mentor Program is a free after school mentoring program for local high school students interested in career opportunities in architecture, engineering, and construction.
Each year local high school students can participate in the ACE program to get real world experience in the building industry, mentor with local building industry professionals, and have an opportunity to apply for scholarships. "During each after school session, the students learn various aspects in architecture, engineering, construction, sustainable design, budgeting, team work, and many other real world experiences that will prepare them for the future workplace. As students go thought the program, they also do a special building project to apply their knowledge learned during the program," officials said.
This year 40 students completed the ACE program and each team developed a Tiny House project with floor plans, building details, budgets, and models. Each team presented their project to the ACE Banquet attendees and an ACE panel, who commented on their project. The presentation and panel review was also part of the student’s real world learning experience. The ACE panel members were Charles Adamson of Adamson Development, Bob McNutt of CNE, and Leanne Kinney.
The ACE board of directors announced the 2016-2017 ACE Mentor Scholarship recipients are:
EMJ- Nathan Merritt- Grace Baptist- 12th grade– considering mechanical engineering;
DBS- Emily Thomas- Collegiate High- 12th grade– considering electrical engineering;
AIA- Isabel Huisman- Collegiate High- 12th grade– considering interior design;
J&J Contractors- Jacob Bridenbaugh- East Hamilton- 12th grade - considering engineering; and
UNUM- Maya Johnson-CSAS- 12th grade – considering engineering.
The ACE Mentor Program is a national mentoring organization with a two-fold mission:
1. To enlighten and increase the awareness of high school students to career opportunities in architecture, construction, engineering and related areas of the design and construction industry through mentoring in a free after school program with professional mentors from the building industry.
2. To provide scholarship opportunities for students in an inclusive manner
reflective of the diverse school population.
Students, parents and teachers can learn more about the ACE program at www.acementor.org.
Sign up for next year’s ACE program begins in August 2017.
For more information, contact Caitlin Moffitt, ACE Mentor Program of Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia, by email at Caitlin.Moffitt@ChattanoogaState.edu.