ACE Mentor Program of West Michigan

09/30/2026

Our first ever ACE West Michigan Alumni Spotlight features Jima G*i Agot, a Kentwood Public Schools graduate now studying Architectural Technology at Grand Rapids Community College, with her sights set on Construction Management at Ferris State University Construction Technology and Management.

Her advice to students thinking about ACE? “I 100% recommend checking ACE out!”

Read what she has to say and share this with a high school student who’s always sketching, building, or asking how things work!

Register for the FREE after school program here: https://app.acementor.org/login

09/21/2026

Before the music started, our students got a look behind the scenes!

ACE Mentor Program of West Michigan was featured in the ACE National Yearbook for our visit to the then under-construction Acrisure Amphitheater.

This 12,000 capacity Grand Rapids venue broke ground in May 2024 and welcomed its first concert in May 2026. Visiting during construction gave students a chance to see how a major project comes together and explore the careers that make it possible.

Curious about designing buildings, solving engineering challenges, or working in construction? ACE is a FREE program for high school students where you can meet industry professionals, explore careers, and work with other students on hands-on design projects. Site visits connect those ideas to real places in our community.

You don’t need experience, just curiosity and a willingness to try something new!

Interested in joining ACE? Sign up here: https://app.acementor.org/login

09/17/2026

Student registration is NOW OPEN for ACE Mentor of West Michigan’s 2026–27 program!

High school students: explore careers in architecture, construction, and engineering through hands-on projects, industry mentors, and real-world experience. No experience necessary!

Tuesday evenings, November 3, 2026–March 2027
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Dinner included!

Sessions follow the school calendar, including holiday breaks.

Ready to build your future? Register using the QR code on the flyer!

Questions? Email [email protected].

Parents, teachers, and counselors, share this with a student who would love to get involved!

12/06/2024

We are in full force with another fantastic cohort of West Michigan students this year! Our team is getting to know each other, learning about our industry, and working toward our design competition project: a new, multi-modal transportation hub in downtown Grand Rapids.

Earlier this year, the team went out to walk the Acrisure Amphitheater job site and see the incredible work ongoing on the Grand River. Special thanks to Progressive Companies and Pioneer Construction for volunteering your time and talent to educate our students.

10/11/2024

This year's cohort is filling up, so if you have an interesting in joining our program make sure to register at https://app.acementor.org/registration/student today.

We will be closing registrations one week from today, October 18th, to prepare for yet another fantastic year of our program. Don't wait!

10/03/2024

Are you a high school student that has an interest in architecture, construction, engineering, and the skilled trades?

The ACE Mentor Program of West Michigan is a free, award-winning, after school program designed to inspire local high school students to pursue post-secondary education or job experience in the design and construction industry. We will be conducting our 2024-2025 Program year over 14 sessions, beginning this November and ending in February 2025.

This year's cohort is filling up, so if you have an interesting in joining our program make sure to register soon! Please head to https://app.acementor.org/registration/student and register as a "New Student" today.

04/16/2024

03/15/2024

This past Tuesday, the ACE Mentor Program of West Michigan celebrated yet another successful program year inspiring local high school students to pursue careers in architecture, construction management, and engineering. In addition to awarding $8,000 in student scholarships, students from 11 different high schools across 4 different counties presented their capstone project: a shoreline prototype development on the Grand River.

This project has been submitted for consideration in the national CIRT Design Competition, which pits affiliates from all over the nation in a competition over three different design briefs. We are so proud of our students and mentors!

01/17/2024

Thank you to the Grand Rapids Public Museum and Grand Rapids Public Schools for allowing us to use your space for our Project Kickoff last night. As students prepare for their upcoming design competition focusing on shoreline design, we decided to go off-site to consider the design elements of our beloved native waterway, the Grand River.