ace leadership high school

Students and teachers from Albuquerque’s ACE Leadership High School have been coming to FUSE every week as part of their Work-Based-Learning Wednesdays program. The group works in the design lab and woodshop, designing and fabricating cutting boards, stools, and boxes. 

Even though ACE has its own woodshop that the students can use, there’s a benefit to coming to FUSE. “There are fewer distractions here, and we have a smaller group than we usually work with so we get more one-on-one time with the students,” says Brad Humble, the teacher leading the program. Gloria, one of the students in the program has enjoyed using the band and table saws. She wants to go into residential construction after high school. She says that she can use what she learns at FUSE at ACE, and ultimately in her career. 

ACE uses practical architecture, construction, and engineering projects to provide an innovative learning environment for students who have struggled in traditional high schools. In 2021, a group of ACE students worked with CNM Ingenuity (FUSE’s parent organization) to build a LEED Platinum house in the Barelas neighborhood. 

The Barelas build was one of the school’s first Work Based-Learning Wednesday projects. The initiative has since expanded to include a variety of guest speakers from industry, service-learning projects, and job shadowing opportunities that offer students academic credit for on-the-job experiences. 

CNM Ingenuity and ACE will continue to work together to provide students with the skills they need to pursue fulfilling careers that address the shortage of tradespeople in the region.