High School Education

ACE Mentor Program is Making a Difference for High School Students

2010-04-30T20:55:26Z

Architecture Construction Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program is a nonprofit organization, formed under Section 501(c) 3 of the District of Columbia in 2002. Prior to that date (1994), the ACE Mentor Program of New York City, the founding affiliate, directed ACE’s leadership. ACE now serves more than eighty cities in America — from New York to Los Angeles, Seattle to Miami, Chicago to Dallas, even Honolulu — and is still growing.

Founded in 2007 with significant support from the Construction Industry Education Foundation (CIEF), the ACE Mentor Program of Greater Sacramento introduces interested high school students to the building industry’s wide range of exciting career opportunities.

The program is open to any student who would like to learn more about a future in architecture, engineering, construction or the building trades.

This year fifteen high schools participated in a pseudo, Intermodal Transportation Hub project built as part of the redevelopment of The Railyards in the City of Sacramento. The project required students to incorporate at least three modes of transportation, such as bus, automobile, regional transit light rail, and Amtrak. In addition, they had to design facilities that included ticket sales, public restrooms, administrative offices, commercial retail space, sales for food and dining, security considerations, parking, public art venue, and waiting areas. The project must obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and meet construction budget of $20 million dollars.

Students had seven months to complete their project. Final presentation day was on April 24, 2010 in Rosemont High School, before an audience of parents, teachers, school administrators, the ACE board of directors, and other invited guests. Students took stage, presented their design solutions with conviction, and spoke like true professionals.

ACE Mentor Program is an exciting and rewarding experience for high school students. I caught up with a couple of students at Granite Bay High School and asked what their experience was like. A senior, leader of the engineering team said, “ACE was an interesting experience that was priceless. The ability to work with professionals and with the team was a moral experience to my career development.” The senior wants to be an aerospace engineer or rocket scientist and felt the program made him want it more.

For some students, they knew nothing or a little about the industry of architecture, construction, and engineering. A senior student that was the LEED team leader knew a little about LEED, and after going through the program, he realized how it could significantly benefit the community and the environment. This student wishes to go to Chico State University after graduation to pursue a degree in civil engineer and specialize in environmental.

Eli Lederer, a junior at Calvine High School participated in the program and said, “I am grateful for the program having not known anything entering and then leaving with a sense of knowledge and understanding of the industry.” Eli is motivated to join the program next year and has the opportunity to encourage others. Many students start out with an overwhelming feeling and are apprehensive in their approach, but at the end to their surprise leave with a sense of satisfaction and feeling of success.

Kelley Cowan is the Vice-Chair Board member of ACE Mentor Program for Sacramento and one of the judges on final presentation day. Cowan works for a general contractor and prepares pre-construction packages that includes cost estimating, budget analysis, scheduling, etc. She utilized her professional experience to help create the RFP (request for proposal) that students were responding to this year’s project. Cowan said most students do not feel intimidated about the RFP because of their resiliency to learn and being technologically sound. They come in voluntarily and will “Google” information to find what they need. “The idea is to have the mentors give students an intro into the industry and guide them and they will go further into their research if they don’t know the answers,” Cowan said.

The goal for students participating in ACE is to enlighten and inspire them in the construction industry. Joe Bean is the Chair member of ACE Mentor Program for Sacramento and believes awareness is the key to reaching out for those students who are tender in their career decisions.

Many high school students are not aware what the construction industry is like in the real world and it becomes a mystery to them. Parents and teachers who know little about the industry cannot give the guidance these students need. As a result, some students enter college pursuing a career they thought they liked and ended up wasting years taking unnecessary courses.

“Lower percentage of success from students participating in ACE comes from realizing the reality of the industry and making a decision that it was not for them,” Bean said. He believes there is success in those experiences because it allows them the opportunity to discover other careers instead of wasting time at a four-year college.

Bean explains the higher percentage of success and said, “Taking students not in ROP Program, wood shop classes, or auto mechanic classes and exposing them to construction industry and soon realize for themselves this is something they want to pursue.” As a result, ACE gives them the opportunity to work in the trade after high school, enter in a two-year construction management program, or a four-year university. Bean said, “The overall success across the board is planting the seeds into these students to pursue on something they like even if it is not in the construction industry.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, population growth, deteriorating infrastructure, and aging buildings will generate employment growth in the construction industry. Job opportunities expect to be good for those construction workers with experience and skill. Architects and engineers are equally to rise in employment growth.

The construction industry has been strongly affected by the credit crisis and recession that began in December 2007. New housing construction, while still ongoing, dropped significantly. The recession affected other types of construction as well. Retailers are refraining from building new stores and state and local governments are reducing spending. However, as energy costs have risen, some companies are finding it necessary to build or renovate buildings that are not energy efficient. "Green construction" is an area that is increasingly popular and involves making buildings as environmentally friendly and energy efficient as possible by using more recyclable and earth-friendly products.

As we start turning the corner from this historic recession, there will be an increase opportunity for new and renovation of existing residential, civic, educational, health, and government projects. This will inevitably demand more jobs for the architectural, engineering, and construction industry. Young students today will make up a large part of the growing workforce and it is important that we give them the sense of awareness and then educated them in the right direction.

Joining ACE for the first time this year as a mentor for architecture at Calvine High School was challenging. Introducing the students to the industry was not an easy task for some. Once they got involved in the process, they soon realized their own desire to want more.

It is vital to have a supplemental program, like ACE to enter into high schools because it creates an awareness and understanding of the industry. Furthermore, it allows students to get their hands on real life applications, which enhances their vision of how the real world operates.

If you like to know more about ACE, visit their website www.acementor.org/573

I am an advocate for quality education and helping young students succeed. Please visit my blog for more information www.chaed11.blogspot.com

C.H.A.E.D Charter High School of Architecture+Engineering+Design

2009-10-29T19:45:28Z

It starts with the premise of caring for high school students’ future by providing them a quality education to be successful. CHAED will deliver innovative methods to improve and achieve academic excellence, reduce the number of high school dropouts, and give students the opportunity to excel in higher learning and compete with today’s challenge.

In today’s world, it is important that high school students stay current with technology and information, engage in real life applications, and be discipline in their study in order to be competitive. This school will provide the competitive edge.

I think many parents want a public high school to serve the neighborhoods of Midtown, Oak Park, East Sac, River Park, College Greens, and Tahoe Park. CHAED can provide parents another choice of school for their kids. This school will be unique and vibrant to downtown Sacramento and can serve as a hub for community participation and collaboration. Once more, it starts with caring for our children knowing they hold the key to a better future and recognizing their potential to make a positive difference in society. I hope to make CHAED become a reality so that it can give our kids a prosperous, healthy, and meaningful future.

MISSION STATEMENT:

CHAED believes creativity is the soul for architects, engineers, and professional designers and most importantly a vehicle to solve problems, present innovative ideas, and give sound solutions. The school will enable students first hand what they need to know to become an architect, engineer, or professional designer, furthermore, it wants each student to have an appreciation for how creativity can process its way through the curriculum as the lifeline for design and analytical thinking. CHAED is a network of students, parents, educators, and professional leaders all learning, collaborating, and committed to an innovative program of study, while integrating the design process with the mastery of a strong liberal arts education. This unique kind of network will give importance and value to an education students can learn from and succeed.

CHAED introduces students to the theories and practices of architecture, design and construction, the building industry and related community issues, engineering design and technical applications, integrating them thematically into a rigorous academic high school curriculum. In participating in CHAED's program, students will see how mathematics, writing and communicating, and social construct through architecture, engineering, and design is used alive all the time in real world applications. The school will develop in graduates the tools necessary to be confident in their choice of career and their choice of university or post-secondary school. Equally important, students will leave CHAED with a sense of purpose, an identity, and a role to society as a positive difference maker.

EDUCATIONAL APPROACH:

CHAED is dedicated to recognize the importance of each student's natural abilities and intelligence and cultivate them to reach higher potential. Equally important, the school will recognize and nurture the students and staff of varied cultural and social backgrounds to achieve full intellectual and social potential. Each student has the personal support of an advisory teacher who monitors that student's progress and offers guidance in developing a rewarding academic identity. In addition to the personal support, students will learn hands on experience through mentorship programs. Knowing students as individuals, teachers encourage them to reflect, develop skills, take risks, and follow a passion.

CURRICULUM FOCUS

CHAED will teach students the fundamentals of liberal arts have in connecting to real world application so that it does not become static, disconnected, and all but abstractions in the learning process. The curriculum will integrate liberal arts and the disciplines of architecture, engineering, and design to create a symbiotic relationship for an understanding and appreciation of how both relate to each other. To support the symbiotic relationship, CHAED will apply the concepts of “awareness” and “learn by doing” approach. As a result, students will gain reflection of the real world, discover their interest, and prepare them to be active, life-long learners.

CHAED will offer not only the core subject areas but also a strong selection of elective classes and programs that will be an additional key to building a successful charter school. Examples are: fine arts, music, business, information technology, second language, photography, athletic program, mentoring program, personal development, health, etc.

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

CHAED will focus on:
1. a safe and friendly school environment,
2. character building of each student in terms of responsibility, integrity, becoming a teamplayer, and respect,
3. preparing students to be good citizens, and
4. students' compassion and humility for themselves, others at school, and members of the broader community.

OUTCOMES AND GOALS:

Upon graduating from CHAED, each student will have:

1. a clearly demonstrated set of academic skills,
2. confidently chosen a career path that they feel proud of,
3. a complete and sound portfolio of their work,
4. internship experience in the workplace and volunteer time in community service,
5. a personal development plan beyond high school,
6. eligible university or post-secondary transferable courses,
7. effective studying tools to improve their higher-education learning experience, and
8. a diploma!

Are you interested and willing to support CHAED's mission? If so, together we can develop a school where young students can reach for their dreams and recognize their potential for success!

Please contact me if you are interested in becoming a board member or part of the planning committee at nrcruz@sbcglobal.net. Thank you!