DDC/SCA ACE Mentor Program Fall Virtual Registration Fair

ACE of Greater New York hosted its annual mentorship registration fair virtually on Thursday, October 22, 2020 via Google Meets. The ACE Mentorship Program is a free after-school program for High School students interested in careers in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction. ACE teams are comprised of 15-30 students from different high schools throughout NYC, and 7-10 mentors representing the various disciplines in the design and construction industry. Mentors from various New York City architecture and engineering firms and city construction agencies work together with high school students to design a final project for the 2021 Construction Industry Round Table (CIRT) challenge. The CIRT National Design & Construction Competition is held with the collaboration of ACE Mentor of America and the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC). ACE Mentor teams from across the country are invited to submit entries based on three prompts to be considered for the prestigious national title and a prize of $5,000.

The New York City Department of Design and Construction partners with the School Construction Authority to host high school students annually with volunteer mentors. DDC’s Community Partnerships and STEAM Initiatives unit oversees the execution of the ACE Mentoring Program. STEAM Initiatives develops outreach programs, events and research agendas that encourages middle school, high school and college students to engage with the ACE career fields. The partnership with ACE of Greater New York further encourages students to be involved and think about becoming the next generation of engineers, and architects to design and build the city we live in.

The ACE Mentoring Program launched their 2020-2021 season virtually to adjust to the current health climate. DDC STEAM ACE Team leaders and DDC Mentors engaged students in a virtual “room” to inspire them to join ACE Team 8 at DDC. The STEAM team leaders created a PowerPoint presentation to showcase various projects the DDC has designed and built. DDC/SCA staff members Oral Selkridge, Director in the Public Buildings division; Salman Javed, Auditor in the Engineering Audit Office division; Madeline Skoblik, Engineer in Charge in the Infrastructure division; and Ruby Saake, Senior Management Specialist in the Business Development division at the School Construction Authority were present at the virtual fair to give students insight into the advantages of joining Team 8. Students who join the DDC STEAM pipeline have the future opportunities to participate in DDC’s High School/College Aide Summer Internship program, and the School Construction Authority’s High School Summer Internship program.

Twenty-six students representing high schools in Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island registered to join DDC/SCA ACE TEAM 8. Team 8 Mentors are excited for the start of the ACE 2020-2021 season.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction

The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $14 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc