The following is a press release from the National Organization of Minority Architects and the ACE Mentor Program of America, a national nonprofit based in Philadelphia, announcing a partnership to support students interested in careers in architecture, construction, and engineering, and to further strengthen NOMA's Project Pipeline.
The ACE Mentor Program of America (ACE) and the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) are pleased to announce today the formalization of their national partnership. ACE is a national nonprofit organization committed to advancing career opportunities for high school students in fields related to architecture, construction, and engineering, while NOMA works to foster justice and equity in communities of color through outreach, community advocacy, professional development, and design excellence.
ACE and NOMA have a shared commitment to diversity, inclusion, and workforce development. By forming this official partnership, the two organizations plan to work together to support students as they move from middle school, to high school, through college and into careers in architecture.
“As a longtime supporter of both NOMA and ACE, the partnership between our two organizations is a natural connection to further bridge pipeline programs that promote minority students access to careers in architecture and all aspects of the built environment,” said Jason Pugh, AIA, AICP, NOMA, LEED AP, NOMA President and Gensler Project Architect and Urban Designer Senior Associate. “Where we have strong NOMA Project Pipeline programs for elementary students, we hope to also create strong ACE high school programs as well to support their access to the field.”
NOMA’s Project Pipeline program is offered every summer in over a dozen U.S. cities led by NOMA professional chapters. The partnership with ACE enables NOMA to help connect design-interested Black and Brown youth to high school programs. Beyond high school, NOMA maintains a strong network of college student chapters, NOMAS, and supports a fellowship program, to support young professionals on their path to architecture licensure. Only 2 percent of licensed architects are Black and of them, 0.2 percent are Black women. The 500th female Black architect was licensed in November 2020, according to NOMA’s Directory of African American Architects.
“We are so excited to formalize our partnership with NOMA,” said Diana Eidenshink, President of the ACE Mentor Program of America. “Our organization, which annually serves more than 10,000 students across the country, looks forward to completing the pipeline from middle school, through ACE, and into rewarding careers. We know that this will help affiliates across the country better support to minority ACE graduates by connecting them with NOMA student chapters on their college campuses.”
As part of the partnership, NOMA Director of Strategic Partnerships and Moody Nolan Associate Antoine Bryant, Assoc. AIA, APA, will join ACE’s National Board of Directors.
