Recruitment report

Partnership with ACE Mentor Program

The Durham School recently sponsored and participated in three ACE Mentor Program end-of-program charrette banquets in Texas, reaching over 400 high school students, parents, and teachers in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Plano area. The students presented their work on the design of architectural structures, lighting/electrical, and mechanical/acoustical systems, as well as construction processes.

Durham School faculty members Tony Roebuck and Dr. Xiaoqi Liu, under the leadership of Dr. Lily Wang, participated in these outreach programs, spreading awareness about Durham School programs and inspiring future construction and architectural engineering professionals.

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High School Teachers' Workshop

The Durham School hosted its second-annual Teachers' Workshop on June 3-4, 2024, welcoming 23 outstanding high school teachers (many nominated by their former students currently enrolled in Durham School programs) and ACE Mentor Program Exemplary Teachers from Maryland, Texas, Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Florida, New Jersey, and across Nebraska.

These exceptional educators visited our facilities in Omaha, learned more about the architectural engineering and construction industries, visited our teaching and dorm facilities on the Omaha campus, met with industry partners at HDR Headquarters, and toured the recently opened Steelhouse Omaha venue in downtown Omaha as well as the construction site of the Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement with Kiewit Construction and Morrissey Engineering representatives. Teachers also had the chance to share best practices in teaching and engaging students about architectural engineering and construction. Fully sponsored through the Durham School’s generous endowment, this workshop aimed to enhance the educators' understanding of our programs and inspire them to share this knowledge with their students.

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Explorers Post

Sponsored by The Boy Scouts of America, Explorer Posts introduced students (ages 14 to 20) to career fields and provided them with the resources and opportunities to develop skills in their areas of interest. This year the Durham School’s Explorer Post events were held on Feb. 6 and Feb. 13, 2024, at the Scott Conference Center and the Peter Kiewit Institute in Omaha. More than 177 people attended, including high school students, industry partners, faculty, and staff. The events received overwhelmingly positive feedback, highlighting their impact in helping to recruit the next wave of students.