Chattanooga
Financial supporters are a critical and core element to supporting the students and operations of The ACE Mentor Program of Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. To support our mission and for more information, please contact Breanne Kintz to get involved. Thank you!
Top 10 Reasons to Sponsor ACE
ACE is One of a Kind.
Unlike any other program, ACE introduces high school students to the full process of designing and building a project and to all facets of the integrated design and construction industry.
ACE Serves the Entire A-E-C Industry.
All A-E-C industry sectors sponsor and lead ACE for the benefit of the overall industry’s workforce. No other afterschool or mentoring program has a comparable industry-wide focus or support base.
ACE Helps Meet A-E-C Industry’s Future Workforce Needs.
- ACE Alumni are 37% more persistent to stay on the path to AEC fields during their post-secondary studies compared non-ACE students, priming the pipeline.
- Industry-related majors of 2024 alumni entering college: 20% design (architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning) 36% mechanical, civil, electrical and structural engineering 25% construction and trades.
- Over 6,400 ACE students have participated in ACE Trades Day events.
ACE Taps the Power and Value of Volunteerism.
In the 2024-2025 program year, over 5,000 industry professionals volunteered in the program as mentors. The value of their time is estimated to be over $30.0 million.
ACE’s Success Has Earned National and Local Recognition.
- 2010 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring – the nation’s highest award for mentoring.
- American Institute of Architects 2014 Collaborative Achievement Award.
- ACE affiliates, leaders and mentors annually earn national and local awards for their professional achievements and contributions to ACE.
ACE Students are Considerably More Diverse than the National Average, Diversifying Future Workforce.
- 70% of students enrolled in ACE Mentor Programs identify as people of color (54% nationwide).*
- 40% identify as young women.*
- 50% Qualify for free/reduced lunch (46% nationwide)
- 41% of ACE seniors going to higher education are 1st generation (27% nationwide: NCES)
ACE Motivates and Assists Student to Attend College.
- 95% of ACE grads go on to post-secondary education with 74% in AEC fields.
- 91% of students report ACE increased their motivation to attend college.
- ACE has awarded more than $37 million in scholarships since its founding, including $3.7 million in 2024.
- 86% of students report improved chances of being admitted into a post-secondary program.
ACE Teaches Students a Broad Range of Industry-related Skills. More than 80% of ACE students agree that they learned such skills and knowledge as green design, basic engineering principles, construction cost estimation, and computer-aided design.
ACE Gives Students 21st-Century Work Life Skills Prized by Employers.
92% of ACE students learned how to work better with students from different backgrounds.
ACE Enhances Students’ Attitudes Toward High School Studies. Two-thirds of ACE alumni from the class of 2016 believe their ACE experience made their high school studies more meaningful and motivated them to study more.
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