Soho Design District collaborated with the ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY this past spring by coordinating two of their final presentation events at the Salvatori SoHo showroom and the Poggenpohl showroom. These events allowed high school students in the program to showcase the mock design projects they created with support from their mentors, who are AEC industry professionals.

The mission of the ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York (ACE GNY) is to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in the design and construction industry through mentorship. Students are organized on teams organized in a way to mirror actual design teams. Mentors are industry professionals that guide the students through a mock design project while introducing them to the careers, industry vocabulary, and various roles companies play in the industry. ACE GNY especially focuses on reaching students who otherwise may not become aware of the opportunities and rewards of a career in architecture, engineering, and construction. The program is proud to be helping to change the face of the industry - more than two-thirds of the students in the program are from minority and underserved communities, and nearly 50% of students are female.

In the 2022-2023 academic year, ACE GNY coordinated 45 mentor teams and introduced over 1,300 students in the Greater NYC area to the AEC industry. The organization is invested in supporting students' continued advancement in the industry through awarding scholarships. 42% of students who were awarded scholarships this past May are the first generation in their family to attend a four-year college program. To date, ACE GNY has awarded over $3 million in scholarships to aspiring industry professionals.

To learn more about ways to support or become involved with ACE GNY, please contact GreaterNY@acementor.org.