The ACE Mentoring Program of Baltimore (ACE Baltimore) has chosen the
Red Line as this year's student project! Students from area schools will be guided
through the architecture and design, construction, and engineering processes for
this landmark project by local industry professionals.

The ACE Mentoring Program is a unique partnership of architects, construction
managers, engineers, designers, professional organizations, high schools and
universities, whose objective is to give high school students an opportunity to
explore career possibilities in the building professions.

Over 110 students from local high schools participate in this program annually,
including: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Carver Vocational, Eastern
Vocational, Digital Harbor, New Town, Reginald F. Lewis, Mergenthaler
Vocational, McDonogh, Mount St. Joseph, and Mount De Sales. Each year,
ACE Baltimore awards scholarships to participating seniors from these schools
to help them pursue their education in the fields of architecture, construction,
and engineering.

One hundred mentors from 25 Baltimore-based firms meet with teams of
students weekly after school to walk them through the design and construction
of a conceptual project. Past projects have included a new Baltimore Arena,
the tallest building in Baltimore, and a Baltimore Cultural Museum. Students
learn through site tours, guest speakers, and hands-on training for how to
analyze a project and its social and economic impacts to the community from
design through construction. The program culminates at Presentation Night
where each team will reveal its solution for the Red Line Station, and
scholarship winners will be announced.

This year, the City will work with ACE Baltimore to help students to understand
how the character of the station, inter-connectivity, pedestrian access, safety,
and parking are important design characteristics for developing a transit station.
Greater than the technical aspects of station design, the students will learn that
the community is a critical element, and that the most effective way to design a
station is to work with the community.

The City is proud to announce this new relationship with the ACE Mentoring
Program of Baltimore. We intend to continue to introduce local students to these
professions and encourage them to pursue studies and careers in these fields.
In return, the design and construction industry gets a much needed boost of
new talent - OUR STUDENTS!!

For more information on the ACE Mentoring Program, please contact
Kelly Cantley, Vice President of ACE Baltimore, at kcantley@tcco.com.