Education and Outreach: CRMC gets involved with ACE Program

On January 27, 2016, CRMC staff met with high school students as part of the ACE (Architecture, Construction, and Engineering) Mentoring Rhode Island program. CRMC coastal geologist Janet Freedman, and marine infrastructure specialist Danni Goulet spoke to four students about their participation in a national competition and selection of the challenge called, Shoreline Design Challenge.

The students plan to choose an area of Rhode Island’s shoreline that presents interesting and diverse challenges, from erosion and flooding, to multiple uses and physical environments. The CRMC staff members discussed a multitude of topics with the students, including the latest on the Shoreline Change (Beach) Special Area Management Plan, STORMTOOLS, its shoreline change maps, and the CRMC’s many areas of expertise in coastal planning and management.

Above, Goulet and Freedman talk with the students, and show them some of the CRMC tools available to them.

ACE is mentoring and team-building program for high school students in the Rhode Island area interested in careers in architecture, construction, and engineering. Celebrating its 10th anniversary during the 2013-2014 school session, ACE’s Rhode Island program helps high school students discover how to translate their interests and abilities into exciting, rewarding careers in the building and design industry.

Professionals drawn from leading area firms mentor teams of students, explaining the inner workings of their jobs, leading tours of major construction sites and challenging the teams with hands-on design projects. The program also gives students a chance to win college scholarships and cultivate industry contacts that could help them obtain college admissions, internships and full-time positions.