Project Team Welcomes Students from ACE Mentor Program
Several members of the Clark/Hunt/Smoot (C/H/S) project team have joined forces with The ACE Mentor Program of the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area, Inc. The ACE Mentor Program was founded by the principals of leading design and construction firms to introduce high school students to career opportunities within the industry. The staff team members are working with students from Anacostia High School to explore educational and career opportunities in Architecture, Construction, and Engineering.
Matt Haas, Project Executive, is leading the Team, which is comprised of six C/H/S mentors. The Team meets with students at the project site for two hours every other week through the month of April and their objectives include informing, challenging, and actively engaging the students. Additional Team members include James Barvinchak - Project Manager; Jackie Keiser - Project Manager; Leon Williams - Senior Project Manager; Jessica Wolford - Office Engineer; and Nichol Bell - Office Engineer/Design Assist.
During each session, the Team incorporates a hands-on project, which encourages a friendly competition amongst the students. One such project tested the student’s creativity as they were tasked with constructing a “building” made of spaghetti and gumdrops and were then asked to explain their thought process on the design and structural soundness. Afterward, the Team takes the students on a tour of the site while explaining the specifics of the work in progress and engaging the students by encouraging them to ask questions and offering ideas about the construction techniques. One of the students participating in the Program, Marcus Thomas, stated, “I look forward to my trips to the Ballpark because I always learn something new, like how the floor is put in or how the ballpark seating is installed. Days spent on the project site are a lot of fun.”
In order to stress the importance of safety, students are required to wear appropriate attire, including a safety vest, and they are given their own hardhat and safety glasses, which sparks enthusiasm. The Team anticipates one of the students will be a successful candidate for the College Orientation Workshop, an opportunity for 11th and 12th grade minority males to experience pre-college activities for one month during the summer at Virginia Military Institute.
To learn more about the ACE Mentor Progream, go to www.acementor.org