ACE

ACE:

The ACE Mentor Program of America, founded in 1994, is a no-cost after-school program that prioritizes workforce development for high school students by connecting them with experts from the design and construction industry.

ACE Mentor addresses pressing workforce needs, offers a range of exciting opportunities for students, and plays a crucial role in bridging the skills gap, with continuous mentor opportunities from high school through to full-time employment.

Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition:

A 0.7 lb bridge that withstood 174.5 lbs of load, tuned through finite-element analysis, hand calculations, and a lot of failed glue joints.

Our team approached the regional Popsicle Stick Bridge competition like any real design-build project. After researching historical truss failures, we iterated through Pratt, Warren, and Howe variations, ultimately selecting a modified K-truss that balanced tension/compression members with the limited stick inventory.

We pre-modeled every joint in Fusion 360, exported loads into a spreadsheet, and documented an MEP-style “construction work plan” so anyone on the team could rebuild the bridge identically. Double-shear gussets, staged clamping, and carefully rationed glue ensured consistent bond quality.

The final bridge tipped the scales at just 0.7 lbs yet survived a 174.5 lb load before failure, earning top marks for efficiency and documentation.