Rhode Island high school students with an interest in architecture, construction, and engineering technology embarked on a five-month mentoring program at New England Tech’s East Greenwich Campus on October 19, 2016. The program will meet weekly at NEIT on Wednesday afternoons through March 15, 2017.
The program is facilitated by The ACE Mentor Program of America, Inc. (ACE), which helps mentor high school student and inspires them to pursue careers in design and construction. ACE is the construction industry’s fastest-growing high school mentoring program, reaching over 8,000 students annually. Its mission is to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring, and to support their continued advancement in the industry.
ACE not only engages sponsors and volunteer mentors to expose students to real-world opportunities, it financially supports each student’s continued success through scholarships and grants. Since inception, ACE has awarded over $14 million in scholarships to promising participants.
Two of this year’s Rhode Island mentors are NEIT graduates and practicing architects, Bill Pepin and Luis Rodriquez. “I had been looking for a chance to volunteer with and give back,” says Bill. “I heard about ACE Mentoring RI thru my employer, Gilbane Building, and thought this was a great opportunity to guide young people, right here at NE Tech.”