SCHEDULE & CURRICULUM

Welcome to the 2026–27 ACE Mentor Program Houston year! This page is your go-to resource for everything you’ll need throughout the program, including our weekly schedule, curriculum, project milestones, and important dates.

Students and mentors: refer back to this page regularly to stay on track and know what to expect each week. While the schedule may be updated as the year progresses, we’ll keep the most current information here so you always know what’s coming next. We’re excited to learn, create, and build together this year!

MEETING SCHEDULE

DESIGN CHALLENGES

USEFUL RESOURCES

WEEKLY LEARNING GOALS

MEETING SCHEDULE

FALL 2026

SPRING 2027

Download our 2026-2027 Schedule Here

DESIGN CHALLENGES

ACE Houston puts our students into the shoes of design professionals with the opportunity to design their very own project! Just like in the real-world industry, students will receive a Request For Proposal from an owner describing their needs, and teams of 4-6 students will work together to provide a design solution. These proposals will be presented at our Student Design Competition on April 3rd, 2027, during which time teams will compete for awards honoring their creativity, resourcefulness, and presentation skills. This year, ACE Houston is partnering with developer, Midway, to explore mixed-use design in the East River area.

Depending on the mentor team, students may have the opportunity to compete in the ACE Mentor Program of America + Construction Industry Round Table National Design & Construction Competition (CIRT Competition). Due to the challenging nature of this competition, it is reserved for experienced students. Those interested should review the requirements linked below and discuss with their mentors during a session. Those who choose to compete in the CIRT Competition will still present their projects at the ACE Houston competition on April 3rd.

Learn More

USEFUL RESOURCES

Explore these resources to spark ideas and help you design your mixed-use project this year! From videos and articles to case studies and design tools, these links will help you learn about real-world developments and how to design your very own.

Learn more about your site and the East River area

Check out our curated playlist of helpful design videos on YouTube

Review this Ultimate Guide to Mixed Use Development

Discover principles of pedestrian bridge design

WEEKLY LEARNING GOALS & RESOURCES

Fall Semester

LEARNING GOALS:
- Understand what ACE Houston is and what to expect with the program this year
- Start exploring careers in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC).
- Get to know your mentors and fellow team members, and introduce your family to ACE
- Practice being comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and trying new things
RECAP: Unable to join us this week? Here is a link to the SLIDES we covered, and here is a link to the VIDEO of our Virtual Team’s meeting.
LEARNING GOALS:
- Understand ACE’s goals and expectations for the year
- Learn about the AEC industry and the different careers within it
- Get introduced to mixed-use design and the ACE Student Design Competition
- Get to know your mentors and teammates
- Build connections, work together, and have fun!
RECAP: Unable to join us this week? Here is a link to the SLIDES we covered, and here is a link to the VIDEO of our Virtual Team’s meeting.
LEARNING GOALS:
- Understand what mixed-use development is and why it’s important
- Identify different types of spaces that can be combined in a mixed-use development
- Learn how mixed-use developments bring together places to live, work, shop, and play
- Explore benefits and challenges of mixed-use developments through real-world examples
RECAP: Unable to join us this week? Here is a link to the SLIDES we covered, and here is a link to the VIDEO of our Virtual Team’s meeting.
LEARNING GOALS:
- Understand the role of a developer and how they help bring a project to life
- Learn how developers, architects, contractors, and engineers work together
- Explore what developers consider when deciding what and where to build, including the site, budget, and community needs
- Understand how project teams balance design, cost, schedule, and sustainability
LEARNING GOALS:
- Understand what a site plan is and what it shows
- Learn the basics of site planning, including setbacks, utilities, surveys, and topography
- Explore which AEC professionals develop site plans and how they work together
- Learn how to read a drawing scale and measure distances on a plan
- Practice understanding scale using familiar objects and spaces
LEARNING GOALS:
- Understand what construction documents are and why are they important
- Learn what information construction documents include and how are they organized
- Explore how to read and understand construction documents
- Identify the differences between plan views, elevation views, section views, etc.
- Understand how construction documents help AEC professionals communicate and build a project
LEARNING GOALS:
- Understand how AEC professionals use models and visuals to communicate
- Explore different types of digital and physical models used in the industry
- Learn about modeling software, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and how AI is changing the industry
- Discover how physical models are made and what materials and techniques are used
- Understand how models develop as a project moves from an idea to a final design