Originally started in 1994 in New York City by Dr. Charles Thornton of Thornton-Tomasetti, ACE (Architecture, Construction and Engineering) is a unique partnership of schools and universities, architects, interior designers, engineers, construction companies, professional organizations, and related corporations. The companies all share the desire to provide career direction to interested high school students. These community-minded companies are leaders in their fields; many have national and international reputations.

The companies join into teams and "adopt" a group of twenty to thirty students for the duration of a school year. Once organized, they meet for a few hours every other week. The teams are organized like a real-life construction project. For example, a team might include a corporate "owner," an architectural firm, a construction company, and an engineering firm.

Each company provides one to two mentors. The mentors are successful designers and contractors who can give students a taste of what it is like to work in these fields and help them decide what they want to do.