Ace Mentor students take to the mound at Yankee Stadium.

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The Greater New York City affiliate of the Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program, in conjunction with the New York Yankees, held an event at Yankee Stadium to recognize the achievements of local high school students who have participated in the organization's mentoring activities.

The ACE Mentor Program was created to address the growing need for skilled professionals in the architecture, construction and engineering industries--a shortage that could become a crisis if current trends continue. The ACE Mentor Program is part of a nationwide program of outreach and mentoring for students in 106 markets across the country. The mentors are professionals from leading design and construction firms who volunteer their time and energy to engage, inform, and challenge youth.

The Yankee Stadium event recognized the efforts of mentors from area companies as well as the 19 students from Bronx high schools who participated in the program. In addition to being exposed to the ACE industry, the students were assigned a project to complete; they formed groups to design the Monument Park for the new Yankee Stadium. The students are working on the project from the construction site trailers at the stadium. Their mentors are from the companies working on the new stadium, including owner's representative, architect, structural engineer, mechanical engineer and construction manager.