I had an immense feeling of accomplishment when my peers and I presented our hospital design in the ACE Mentor conference in Washington, D.C. I felt elated to be a part of something so sophisticated. I learned many valuable lessons but the most crucial lesson was about function. That is to say, anyone can have a good design idea but it has to function properly in order to get built.
Students Served Per Year
Scholarships in History
of College-Bound Alums are 1st Generation
What’s New
Remembering Charles H. Thornton II
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Charles “Charlie” Thornton II, the founder of the ACE Mentor Program and a visionary leader in the AEC industry.
Click below to read more about Charlie’s Legacy and the Charles H. Thornton Memorial Scholarship, established to honor his dedication to the next generation of the build industry.
ACE Affiliate Programs & Regions
Find an ACE affiliate program near you to learn how to get involved.
Mentors per Year
High Schools
Affiliate Programs
2024 Outstanding Mentors
A jury of previous Outstanding Mentor award winners selected five exceptional mentors as 2024 ENR—ACE Outstanding Mentors. Their contributions to students, fellow mentors, and affiliates epitomize the dedication and effectiveness of ACE’s over 4,100 mentors. Each of the five winning affiliates will received a student scholarship to be named after them. Engineering News-Record and its parent company BNP Media generously support this program.
Our Sponsors
National Sponsors help to ensure that ACE Mentor is able to offer life-changing career programs to students at no cost.
Testimonials
My time in ACE was invaluable. After speaking with architects and engineers, I was able to understand these professions and decide on my career goals. With a group of peers I was able to get a feel of what a major construction project is like. Our team formulated a goal, and we accomplished it together.
This program will help anyone interested in construction-related careers. I learned to think “outside the box” and to understand how to make my goals and objectives become true. The ACE program is a great way to learn about how things work in the real life business of architecture, engineering and construction.
Being involved with the ACE Mentor Program has shown me how interesting and challenging an engineer’s career can be. The program taught me the complicated building process step-by-step. It showed me what the real world of an engineer is like and now I know for sure that this is what I want to do for my career life.
My son’s involvement with the ACE Mentor program has been invaluable. His mentors have engaged him in a way that increased his interest in engineering, and showed him how these skills can be applied in real-life settings. ACE has influenced his career plans, and the choice of colleges to which he is now applying. ACE also has given him a network of both professionals and fellow students he can follow into college and beyond. Our son is fortunate to have been involved with ACE.