Los Angeles
About Us
ACE launched its metro Los Angeles program in 2002, with the significant support of Morley Builders, Santa Monica, plus the time and energy of many volunteers. This affiliate serves parts of the California counties of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside. It has one team a few blocks from the ocean in Santa Monica, and another in the desert at Indio.
We are a California Not-For-Profit Corporation, and our IRS tax identification number is 03-0505 898. The official name is ”ACE Mentor Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, Inc.”
Since 2002, ACE Los Angeles has enabled hundreds of high school students to discover the exciting potential of careers in Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE). Starting with 45 students and three teams, we have grown to about 350 students on 16 teams. Students in Spring 2009 came from 27 different high schools.
The scholarship program has expanded too. In the first year, scholarships were awarded to nine graduating high school seniors. In May 2009, rights were granted to 46 graduating seniors.
Because we cover a wide geographic area, we build our teams around high schools, or small clusters of high schools. We recruit mentors from nearby architectural, engineering and construction firms.
A typical team matches half a dozen professional mentors with two dozen students in grades 10 through 12. They meet after school about 16 times during the academic year.
Over 100 of our “alumni” currently are in college. By spring 2009, a dozen of these had graduated. Two are now in post-graduate Master’s Degree programs. One is in law school. Others are working in the design and construction professions and one of these has returned to mentor at his old high school. Several have entered the skilled construction trades.
Our Projects
Working closely with its mentors, each team undertakes a design project. This may involve a new or remodeled structure that can be sited on the team’s own high school campus.
In spring 2009, the “ACE Regional Transit Authority” (ARTA) has issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) to each of our teams. A light rail system was proposed to join all ACE-Los Angeles high school campuses. Each team designed a transit station and related facilities to fit into the existing dimensions and structures on its own high school site. Models were built and budgets prepared. All were displayed at spring presentation events, bringing teams together at sites in Los Angeles and Palm Desert.
Our program also includes other activities that expose young people to the challenges, opportunities and rewards of the design and construction professions. These activities include:
- Visits to professional office and construction sites.
- Competitions in the designing, building and load-testing of simple structures.
- "Trade Days" when students get hands-on instruction at apprentice training schools for the skilled construction trades.
Students active in ACE’s Los Angeles program can compete for three different types of scholarships. To qualify for them, a student must study Architecture, Construction, Engineering or a related discipline, involved with the design and construction of buildings or civil infrastructure. Participation in an organized apprenticeship program in the building trades also is acceptable.
- Scholarships funded by the general resources of our Los Angeles affiliate, all at $1,000 per year. If ACE-Los Angeles resources permit and the student meets specific conditions, some are renewed in upperclass college years.
- Scholarships sponsored by local clubs, societies or universities. These change each year. Check with your mentor team leader.
- ACE national scholarships, several of which have gone to Los Angeles area students. When ready (usually about January) application forms are posted on this page. These vary in size depending on the donor and most are renewable each year for four years, after the student meets defined conditions.
Participate in ACE
If you would like to experience ACE’s challenges, opportunities and rewards for yourself, or just have a question, see the contact box in the upper right corner of this page.
