Frederick
About Us
The Frederick Affiliate of the ACE Mentor Program began in 2005 with a partnership between Bechtel Corporation, Frederick County Public Schools and ACE. In our fifth year of existence, the Frederick Affiliate includes more than ten companies and organizations and eight teams. The program, which runs during the school year, is open to any high school student interested in learning more about a career in the building industry. Typically, meetings are held every two weeks for two hours after school at the offices of one of the sponsoring companies.
The key to the effectiveness of the program is the support and efforts of the mentors. Mentors are professionals in the industry who willingly share their knowledge of the industry and passion for their work with students who are eager to learn more about careers in architecture, construction and engineering.
The heart of this program is its focus on projects that simulate real-world situations. Through these projects, teams of students under the mentorship of industry professionals transform their ideas from abstract concepts into concrete solutions.
The result is a comprehensive "everyday" look at what architects, engineers, and contractors do to create the kinds of buildings in which we live, work, and play.
Our History
Started The Frederick Affiliate of the ACE Mentor Program started in 2005-2006 with 36 students on three teams; the program grew the second year to 40 students and four teams. One of the teams, consisting of second-year participants, won honorable mention in ACE’s national design challenge. The 2007-2008 program began with over 50 students on five teams. That year’s second-year students, who met at the LSA facility, won the ACE National Design Competition with their winning transportation project. In (2008-2009) 90 applicants applied to the program, and 70 students were accepted. Nine seniors received scholarships at the end of the year, one of which was an ACE National scholarship. In (2009-2010) 88 students applied to the program and 84 students were accepted. We have 16 returning students, 21 first year students meeting at Gilbane’s office at Frederick High school, and 45 first year students meeting at Bechtel. The student demographics represent all nine of Frederick County Public Schools in addition to St. Johns Catholic Prep and a home schooled student.
Our Team Projects
Projects completed during previous ACE years included:
• Firehouse
• Parks, one with a large aquatic center and another with an indoor extreme adventure park
• Teen centers
• School and historic building restorations
• College building renovation
Current projects include: hydroelectric dam, pedestrian bridge, an ideal high school, a parking garage, and urban reuse of an old building in Downtown Frederick.
During the early part of the 15-session program, the teams visit a construction site, hear talks by industry experts and worked with guest mentors. They then created detailed architectural drawings, construction schedules, equipment and labor lists, budgets and other materials necessary to define and articulate their project solutions.
At the end of the program, the teams present their solutions at an awards ceremony attended by local business, government and educational leaders; students’ families and friends; and teachers, counselors and mentors. At the ceremony, scholarships are awarded and recognition certificates distributed.
Our Sessions
For first-year students, the ACE sessions include presentation in the following areas: construction; estimating; landscape architecture; project management; public speaking; scheduling; surveying and; several engineering disciplines such as: chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, nuclear, structural, and piping. Students who participate in a second year of ACE, concentrate on the design competition. There sessions are focused on the design topic and may include mock Planning Commission Meetings and site field trips.
Special sessions throughout the year are available for all of the students included a college fair; attended by colleges from Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Also scheduled in January is a college panel session including former ACE students.
Participate in ACE!
If you’d like to experience ACE’s challenges, opportunities and rewards for yourself, send an email to our address in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
