best they found that out through ACE of Idaho rather than spending countless hours and dollars on college courses. We have had students get internships with local firms and also get hired by local trades right out of high school. Summarize your takeaways and why you want to continue to participate. Jeff: Participating in ACE has reinforced the importance of mentorship and professional development in shaping the future of our industry. Seeing students grow, develop their skills and pursue careers in architecture, construction and engineering is incredibly rewarding. Continuing to support ACE means continuing to build a stronger, more innovative Idaho. Ken: To summarize, ACE of Idaho has helped me share my love and experience in architecture and construction with others who may choose the same path I did. But I also enjoy helping the students get exposure to many different things that they can become. What are your dreams for the program in five years? Jeff: In the next five years, I envision ACE expanding its reach across the state, increasing student participation and strengthening industry partnerships. Goals include: • Establishing programs in more high schools across the Treasure Valley. • Expanding to other regions of Idaho. • Increasing scholarship and internship opportunities. • Strengthening partnerships with universities and trade schools. • Enhancing hands-on project opportunities to provide deeper learning experiences. Ken: My hope is that within five years (or much less), we can bring ACE of Idaho to all parts of the state. As well as offering virtual classes to those areas that don’t have the mentors available but still have the student need. We have talked with other school districts about the program and all have said, “When can you bring the program to our area!” What are the next steps for the program? Jeff: To achieve these goals, ACE of Idaho will focus on: • Expanding mentor recruitment to engage more industry professionals. • Strengthening funding sources to support scholarships and program growth. • Increasing outreach efforts to attract more student participants. • Partnering with local and state organizations to promote career pathways in the built environment. Do you have a call to action? How can other AIA members participate or support it? Jeff: AIA members play a crucial role in supporting the ACE Mentor Program of Idaho. By investing in ACE, we invest in the future of our industry and the communities we build. Let’s work together to empower the next generation of architects, student curriculum each year, help recruit and organize mentors for the sessions, and also attend the sessions and lead some of the architect-centered activities. I will introduce what it is like to be an architect and lead the design sessions where we introduce the concepts of bubble diagrams and laying out floorplans. I’ll also lead the site design session where we get the students thinking about designing in context to a project’s surroundings. Summarize the time commitment that you have experienced. Ken: The commitment for mentors is actually not that much. We have 16 sessions that are two hours long, one weekday a week for 16 weeks, with one final presentation of their project at the end. So overall, it is about 40 hours or less over a four‑month period. If you have a positive story/experience that stands out, please share it. Ken: In the three short years the program has been here in Idaho, there are always great stories that emerge. I have seen mentors learn things that they never knew about the other professions that they work with every day. That only strengthens the respect we have for working with each other. There have been students who have discovered a life path they never thought about before or thought they wanted to become one type of engineer but switched to another type based on their experience in the program. We have also helped students realize that the profession they thought they were interested in ended up not what they thought, and they changed to another. It is 41
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