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ACE Mentor Program

Published August 10, 2016

For WCS high school students with an interest in architecture, construction or engineering, registration for the ACE Mentor program is now open.

ACE is an after-school program for Tennessee high school students made up of design and construction companies that team together to “adopt” a group of 15 to 18 students for the duration of a school year.

The teams are organized like a real life construction project, so a team may include a corporate owner, an architecture firm, a construction company and an engineering firm.

Mentors in the program are successful designers and contractors whose knowledge and experience gives students a hands-on look at what it’s like to work in these fields.

Throughout the course of the school year, the students will work with their mentors to develop a program that is tailored to the students’ interests. The students will typically meet with their mentor every two weeks for two hours after school at various locations in Nashville and Williamson County. Sessions will include hands-on activities, office tours and field trips. Students must provide their own transportation.

Students will eventually be challenged with designing a conceptual project and put in charge of creating drawings, models or presentation boards. In April 2017, the team will give a presentation of its work at the 2017 ACE Scholarship Awards Banquet, to which parents and teachers will be invited. Students who successfully participate in the ACE program may be eligible for an ACE scholarship upon application.

For more info about ACE and to apply online, visit www.acementor.org. You may also direct your questions to Jackie Baggett, Williamson County Schools Retirement Manager, at 615-472-4055 or jackieb1@wcs.edu. The registration deadline for Williamson County students is August 31. Orientation for all registered participants is tentatively scheduled for mid-September. Additional information regarding orientation will be sent to all registered participants.

In order to apply to participate in the ACE Mentor Program in Williamson County, students must:

Either be a junior or senior (freshmen and sophomores may be accepted pending junior/senior enrollment)

  • Have a GPA of at least 2.5
  • Have their parents’ permission
  • Have no school disciplinary issues
  • Want to explore careers in architecture, construction management or building-related engineering
  • Be committed to attend the meetings regularly