Unlocking Futures: Navigating the ACE Mentor Program Scholarship

The ACE Mentor Program stands as a beacon for high school students, illuminating pathways to careers in architecture, engineering, and construction. This not-for-profit organization aims to engage, excite, and enlighten students, providing them with invaluable mentorship from industry professionals and supporting their journey into these dynamic fields. The ACE Mentor Program wants to see all students succeed in achieving their goals.

ACE Mentor Program: An Overview

Founded in 1994 by a group of leading architects, contractors, and engineers in New York City, the ACE Mentor Program has expanded its reach to serve more than 100,000 students nationwide, with over 20,000 students in New York alone. ACE Greater New York serves students in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County. The program is designed as an after-school initiative to motivate high school students toward architecture, construction management, and construction-related engineering careers.

Since 1995, ACE has been opening students’ minds to the possibilities available to them in these careers by engaging them in year-long design projects with professional architects, construction managers, and engineers. By working with the Mentors in the classroom, students are able to see and experience first-hand the world of the building design and construction professional.

The ACE GNY Scholarship Program

Since 1994, the ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY has awarded over $3.5 million in scholarships to college-bound seniors who participate in the ACE GNY program and meet specific criteria. The goal of the program is to support students who intend to pursue careers in the design and construction industry. Senior students who participate in ACE GNY for at least one program year and will be studying an ACE-related major in college are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates for the ACE Mentor Program’s Scholarship Program must meet several requirements to be considered:

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Program Participation: Candidates must participate for at least one entire year (Spring/Fall) in the ACE Mentor Program.
Registration: They must have registered at ACEMentor.org to be eligible.
Enrollment Plans: Applicants must plan to enroll full-time in an undergraduate major related to architecture, construction management, or construction-related engineering or related fields as approved by the Scholarship Committee.

Required Application Materials

Eligible candidates must submit all of the following materials:

Online Application and Essays: Completion of the online application and submission of two 500-word essays from the four topics provided.
Academic Transcript: Submission of an official academic transcript.

Eligible Fields of Study

The ACE Mentor Program supports students pursuing a wide range of disciplines critical to the design and construction industry:

Architecture: Encompasses the process and product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings or other structures. Architectural works, often perceived as cultural symbols and works of art, play a crucial role in shaping our environment.
Architectural Engineering: Also known as building engineering, this discipline addresses the technological aspects and multi-disciplinary approach to the planning, design, construction, and operation of buildings. This includes the integrated design of environmental systems (energy conservation, HVAC, plumbing, lighting, fire protection, acoustics, vertical and horizontal transportation, electrical power systems), structural systems, behavior and properties of building components and materials, and construction management.
Civil Engineering: This professional engineering discipline focuses on the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewerage systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings, and railways.
Construction Management: A professional service providing a project's owner(s) with effective management of the project's schedule, cost, quality, safety, scope, and function.
Construction Trades (vocational): Includes fields such as electrician, HVAC, plumbing, etc.
Construction Technology: Focuses on creating new applications and tools that are changing how the construction industry designs, plans, and executes its projects. These advanced software and construction-focused hardware will help shape the industry for decades.
Electrical Engineering: This engineering discipline is concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
Environmental Engineering: A professional engineering discipline that draws from broad scientific topics like chemistry, biology, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiology, and mathematics to create solutions that will protect and also improve the health of living organisms and improve the quality of the environment.
Geotechnical Engineering: A specialization within civil engineering that involves investigating and understanding what is beneath the ground's surface.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Beyond the ACE Mentor Program's direct scholarships, students interested in construction-related fields can explore other opportunities:

Construction Careers Scholarships: These scholarships, worth \$2,500, require applicants to be high school seniors, high school graduates, or have a GED equivalent. They must plan to enroll, or be enrolled within 1 year, in an approved trade-related program at an accredited two-year school or institution (i.e., technical/vocational school, community college, or training center) in the United States. Note that employees or dependents of employees of The Home Depot are not eligible. Programs/Career Paths include Carpentry, Construction Management, Electrical, HVAC, and Plumbing. The application deadline is the last day of March, June, September, and December, with winners notified approximately 4-6 weeks after the deadline. Scholarships must be used within 1 year of acceptance, and awards are paid directly to the recipient's school or training center.
DPR’s Build Up High School Internship in Construction Management: This internship offers high school students the chance to expand their knowledge of construction management during the summer.
CMAA San Diego Regional Chapter’s Scholarship Awards: These awards promote student involvement in the Chapter and reward students exhibiting genuine interest in the improvement of the construction management industry, as demonstrated in their studies and statements of short and long-term goals. Eligibility requires enrollment in an Associate's, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree program with an emphasis in the Architectural/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry at a California college/university located in San Diego or Imperial County. Preference is given for Construction-focused programs. Applicants must have full-time enrollment for the 2025-2026 academic year (part-time students are not eligible for awards) and maintain a 3.0 GPA.
APWA Scholarships and Internships: These programs require students to pursue a degree in a public works-related field, such as civil engineering, surveying, construction management, geotechnical engineering, or other closely related technical fields that feed into public works careers. Students must have an address during the 2026-2027 school year (For Scholarship) and during the summer of 2026 (for internship) within the Chapter region (San Diego or Imperial Counties). Each selected scholarship or internship recipient must attend an APWA Chapter General Lunch Meeting to be recognized by the Chapter. The scholarship program also supports those pursuing a technical certification to become an operator or technician in the public works field. Scholarship applicants must request two letters of recommendation from school-related references.

ACE Alumni Scholarships

ACE awards \$50,000 to Alumni annually, in scholarship amounts ranging from \$5,000 - \$20,000. Exact amounts are determined by ACE. To qualify, students should have good attendance in the ACE program, be an active and engaged participant and express an interest in building industry careers. The deadline to apply for a 2025 ACE Alumni Scholarship is Monday, February 14, 2025. The application portal opens January 7th. A virtual office-hours session to review application requirements will be offered on January 22nd. Applicants must have completed their first two years of post-secondary education. ACE does consider students in their 5th year of an ACE program. Demonstration of financial need is a key consideration. Key consideration is given to students who are underrepresented in the ACE industries.