We are
at ACE
Our mission is creating pathways for young people to explore building industry careers. Now, more than ever, we need your support to mentor hundreds of diverse and talented youth, award generous college scholarships, and provide workplace opportunities that introduce them to career opportunities in Architecture, Construction, and Engineering. Join our Building Futures fundraiser with a sponsorship or personal donation.
The Chicago ACE Mentor Program has awarded its participants over $2 million dollars in renewable four-year college scholarships and has provided over 250 paid summer internships. These opportunities are largely possible from the generous support of our corporate sponsors throughout the industry.
The ACE program has given our students an opportunity to build relationships with our 200 mentor volunteers and a chance to see a rewarding future for themselves. With your help, we can continue creating viable career paths in the building industry for a diverse group of talented students.
Building Futures 2024 sponsors are invited to
an in-person thank you celebration on Thursday, April 11.
Reach out to nina@hooplagroupla.com with any questions about the event.
The 2021 Building Futures fundraising campaign culminated with a virtual Student Showcase, where you saw firsthand the impact of your support as ACE students present their creations from a semester of mentorship. Additionally, during the Showcase, students were awarded with scholarships–made possible by your support–to help budding young architects, construction managers, and engineers with college tuition and expenses.
We hope you enjoyed this special event and will join us again soon.
Why support ACE Mentor Chicago?
ACE builds futures
We build the future of the architecture, construction, and engineering industries by providing students with hands-on experiences that help inform their school and career choices. Your support translates into direct impact: providing critical scholarships and mentoring to ACE students and keeping our program operations running.
ACE fosters equity
We are building a future for your industry that is inclusive and varied and reflects the rich diversity of our region. Nearly three-quarters of students participating in ACE programming come from 65 Chicago Public Schools and 75% are youth of color. ACE programming has shifted virtual and our number of students continue to rise.
ACE creates opportunity
For 20 years, the highlight of our program has been scholarship awards, and in 2021, we awarded $170,000 in college scholarships to high school students and an additional $70,000 to college-aged alumni. Our youth are seeking opportunity for growth, and during the current pandemic, our low-income students need additional support more than ever.