Palm Springs
About Us
ACE of Palm Springs helps area students explore the many opportunities available in architecture, construction management and engineering, while also providing scholarships and industry contacts to help students interested in pursuing these opportunities.
We welcome all students and make a special effort to recruit those who otherwise might not be exposed to these career options.
As part of the Los Angeles Metro Area ACE Mentor Program, we serve high school students in the Greater Coachella Valley, approximately 100 miles east of Los Angeles.
The Palm Springs program began in January 2005 with students from Cathedral City, Coachella Valley and Indio high schools. Since then, our program has expanded to include Hamilton High School in the City of Anza, and we are planning to add new schools next year. Our mentors come from the area's leading architecture, construction management and engineering firms.
In 2007-2008, approximately 60 students, eight dedicated mentors and about 20 mentor firms as well as high school staff participated in the program. The students and mentors worked together weekly on “real-life” design and planning projects.
In addition to mentoring sessions, activities include visits to construction sites, tours of local professional firms and presentations by industry experts. All of these activities are designed to enrich students' understanding of what building industry professionals do and the opportunities available in the industry.
Our Team Projects
In response to a “mock” RFP (Request for Proposal) for a light rail transit station for their schools, two Cathedral City High School ACE teams created designs for “Lion” and “Green Lantern” rail stations, while the Indio High School team designed a monorail station.
These assignments introduced students to the challenges, rewards and diverse talents needed in ACE professions. In addition, they provided students with the chance to gain basic instruction and experience in applying many of the same tools, technologies and techniques industry professionals use every day.
Team members presented their final designs to families, teachers, mentors and others at the ACE Awards Presentation Banquet.
To recognize outstanding seniors on its 2007-2008 teams, the Greater Coachella Valley ACE program awarded eight $1,000 scholarships to students planning to pursue careers in the design professions and building trades. Two other students who intend to study landscape architecture and horticulture won scholarships of $2,000 each.
Participate in ACE!
If you’d like to experience ACE’s opportunities, challenges and rewards for yourself, just contact one of the ACE leaders listed in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
