Young Engineers Growing in Allentown High Schools

The Allentown School District recently introduced the ACE Mentor Program to Allen High School and Dieruff High School, allowing students to investigate the application of science and math as they explore an industry that is central to sustained urban revitalization.
The ACE Mentor Program’s mission is “to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in the integrated construction industry through mentoring.” ACE stands for architecture, construction and engineering and students have the opportunity to explore all of the careers under that heading, including landscape architecture, civil engineering, construction management, and interior design. What makes the program really special is that it provides students with an opportunity to work next to industry professionals who can show the students that there is some reward for hard work.

These industries all require that students have a depth of understanding in science and math. Investments in those fields of study will position Allentown’s youth for success in the construction industry and elsewhere. As a region, the Lehigh Valley is counting on our students to bring technological and technical innovation to our economy. We need to keep pushing at the edges of innovation to remain globally competitive.
To sustain our cities, we need fresh minds to explore these fields. Allentown’s buildings and infrastructure are aging and we will need creative approaches to revitalization of our built environment to make us an attractive destination for individuals and industry. We will continue to see our city embrace its urban character when we engage these young residents to imagine new ways of living, working and playing in our built environment.
Kudos to the Allentown School District and to Langan Engineering for their role in bringing this concept to Allentown.