ACE (Architecture, Construction & Engineering) Mentor Program

Touching Lives Program

ACE's mission is to expose high school students to real-world career opportunities in architecture, construction, engineering and related areas of the design/build and construction services industry.

Mentoring is the proven approach – giving a diverse population of young people the chance to work directly with industry professionals in actual workplace settings. Tangible benefits range from invaluable first-hand experience to solid scholarship opportunities for students, no matter what their backgrounds or life circumstances.

Congressman Jim Himes recognized the ACE Program and the three Connecticut-based mentoring firms. View the clip on YouTube.

At EMCOR, we support the ACE program coast-to-coast with many of our employees volunteering their time as mentors or board members of local affiliates. On a national level, even our President and CEO Tony Guzzi participates on the Executive Committee.

Research proves it – ACE works.

ACE participants graduate high school at a greater rate than non-ACE participants.
ACE participants attend college at a higher rate than their non-ACE counterparts.
Female ACE participants enter college engineering programs at double the national rate of non-ACE students.
ACE increases diversity in architecture, construction and engineering program enrollment.
More minorities are enrolled in ACE than other afterschool programs.
ACE alumni “give back” and volunteer more than their non-ACE counterparts.

More low-income students are enrolled in ACE than other afterschool programs.
Nearly 10% of all 2009 college freshmen who intended to enroll in architecture programs are ACE Mentor Program alumni. Of the ACE students, the minority mix (Asian, African American and Hispanic) was 2 - 4 times greater than for national freshmen, who are 70% Caucasian.
The ACE Program attracts more African-American and Hispanic freshmen into civil, mechanical and electrical engineering programs.
ACE students tell us the experience gives them an edge over their non-ACE counterparts.