Chicago

Contacts

Pat O'Connell
Executive Director
(p) 847.328.7818
Email Pat.

In the news!
ACE Students are featured in the January/February issue of Chicago Architect magazine. Read full article.

Forms

Parent Consent Form

Construction Site Tour Worksheet

Field Trip Permission Form

Program Evaluation Form

Mentors
Thanks to our many mentors who have helped us this past year in making our affiliate such a success.

Board of Directors
Our board is comprised of local industry leaders who make a significant contribution to our chapter. We are grateful for their continuing support. View our board members.

Building a Foundation for the Future
The Eighth Annual Chicago ACE Luncheon

Click HERE to purchase tickets to the
Chicago ACE Mentor Program Luncheon Feb. 12, 2013

The Chicago ACE Mentor Program invites you to join us on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 as we help build a healthy future for our workforce and celebrate those making a difference. Network with your colleagues and make new contacts too!

DATE: Tuesday, February 12, 2013
TIME: Reception at 11:00 am followed by Luncheon at 12:00 pm
LOCATION: Chicago Hilton and Towers, 720 South Michigan Avenue

For additional information or to purchase tickets please contact
Hoopla Communications at 773.486.6920 or e-mail Chris Kowalke.
View the Invitation

About Us

Winner of the 2005 “Affiliate of the Year” award, the ACE Chicago Mentor Program takes a “hands-on” approach to helping students learn about careers in architecture, construction, engineering and related professions.

During the 2009-2010 school year, 205 students from more than 40 citywide high schools (primarily Chicago Public Schools) participated on seven teams with 165 mentors from professional A/E/C firms.

Using a variety of engaged learning approaches, the program involves students in activities that help them build skills they can carry over to school subjects, such as graphic design, art, math and engineering. At the same time, these activities give them a strong foundation on which to base future careers.

We also offer a program that provides paid summer internships at ACE’s participating firms. This program, which includes an orientation and ongoing oversight during the summer, gives students a chance to earn a salary, as well as gain valuable work experience and contacts.

To date we have awarded 259 four-year renewable scholarships valued at $600,000, and 55 summer internships.

Our Projects

ACE Chicago uses a range of creative activities to introduce students to careers in the building industry. For example, student teams might be provided with a list of architectural or structural elements and go on a scavenger hunt to “gather” them from local buildings using a digital camera. Or each team might be given sets of architecture, engineering and construction drawings and asked to answer various design and technical questions about them.

Working with mentors on these kinds of activities helps students learn the basics of the building industry by applying abstract concepts to concrete situations.

Participate in ACE!

If you’d like to experience ACE’s challenges, opportunities and rewards for yourself, just contact the ACE leader listed in the upper right-hand corner of this page.