At the core of the ACE program is the development of a final or capstone project created by students working in collaboration with mentors. Some affiliates structure their entire curriculum around the final project, while others only begin work on projects after several preliminary sessions.
Project RFP's
Affiliates follow different strategies to develop final projects. Some affiliates require all teams to follow one RFP, while others allow individual teams to create their own projects.
“Tips for Selecting a Final Project” explains different approaches and the pros and cons of each. Several sample RFPs can also be viewed here.
Each fall the Construction Industry Round Table, a long-time ACE national sponsor and partner, publishes a RPF for three design challenges. The 2019 RFP can be viewed in the following pages.
Some teams choose not to enter the competition but utilize one of the RFPs from the current year’s CIRT challenge for their team’s final project.
Presentations
An event when students present their final projects before an audience typically culminates the ACE program year. Whether the final presentation event is a simple or highly polished production, students need extra preparation.
Virtual Presentations + Year End Celebrations
This Spring, ACE programs across the country took the time to continue to celebrate their students and their fantastic work in our program. Below are links to videos of affiliates that hosted their final presentations in a virtual format. Please take time to view them, enjoy them, be inspired by them, help us celebrate the very unique Class of 2020 and the resilience that they are building as they adapt to a new and changing world.