Ascent Builders

"As a mentor, I couldn't be more proud of the kids at Oakmont High School and their win this year" - Robert Boucher

August 11, 2010 Sacramento, CA – The ACE Mentor Program of Greater Sacramento received a City Council commendation at last night’s Sacramento City Council Meeting. Mayor Kevin Johnson and the Sacramento City Council recognized the more than 8,000 hours of volunteer work put in by area mentors over the last three years.

The ACE acronym stands for Architecture, Construction and Engineering and is a national high school mentoring program in 93 American cities.　 A partnership between schools, architects, engineers, general contractors, trades and professional organizations, ACE programs in California awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships this year to graduating high school seniors pursuing education and careers in the construction and design industry. More than 300 firms participated statewide, providing over 470 mentors for almost 1,000 students!

In the Sacramento program, 13 regional high schools were assigned dedicated mentor teams of representatives from architecture, engineering, general contracting and the trades.　 The groups met every other week from October through April for a two-hour after school session as the students learned about the construction industry and its career opportunities through field trips, presentations and hands-on activities.　 The students’ favorite aspect of the program was working on the design and construction approach to their project, which they presented in competition at the end of April.　 The year culminated the following week at a formal banquet where project awards, leadership awards and scholarships were announced.　 This year’s Sacramento banquet was attended by over 600 students, parents, teachers and industry professionals.

"The success of ACE is due to the generosity of our industry and its individuals in giving their resources and time as mentors.　 While the true rewards come from the students’ growth and accomplishments, we appreciate the City’s commendation and are grateful to be part of a community embracing volunteerism."

Kelley Cowan, ACE Chairwoman