ACE Participants Revealed

STANFORD, Calif. - In its seventh year of international service, the Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement (ACE) Program provides one-time funding for accepted Stanford and Duke student-athletes to participate in three-week, immersive summer service experiences with an international community partner. This summer, ACE will return to in-person programming with a new, US-based program in addition to offering four virtual international service programs.

A collaboration between Duke and Stanford Athletics, the ACE Program is made possible by the generous support of David Rubenstein and Peter and Helen Bing. The program is a reflection of Duke and Stanford's shared mission of public service and desire to collaborate with peer institutions. To date, ACE remains the first and only two-university international service program designed specifically for student-athletes.  

For the summer of 2022, 22 student-athletes have been accepted to ACE community engagement programs located in Colorado (in-person) and virtually in South Africa, Peru, Thailand, and Vietnam.
 

2022 Stanford Participants

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

"Participating in ACE this summer is a unique experience to work on social impact projects with other student-athletes across the country. I want to make a difference while creating friendships and learning about an international community."
- Caitlin Chicoski, Lacrosse, ACE in Place South Africa

"Participating in ACE is valuable to me because I believe it is worth taking the time to interact with others in different communities and learning from their culture."
- Rick Mihm, Men's Swimming and Diving, ACE in Place Peru

"ACE provides the opportunity to collaborate with people from different cultures and make an impact on an incredible community. I am excited to learn from our team and contribute to the project as we work to create a memorable and educational experience for the children in Vietnam."
- Brenna Neault, Women's Gymnastics, ACE in Place Vietnam

"ACE provides the incredible opportunity of learning about new cultures while engaging in meaningful community service."
- Isabela Onyshko, Women's Gymnastics, ACE in Place Thailand

"I am so excited and grateful to have the opportunity to participate in ACE this summer. Helping to support a great cause such as marine conservation, working with students from a different school, and meeting others from new cultures – all these are truly rare, compelling opportunities."
- Taylor Ruck, Women's Swimming and Diving, ACE in Place Thailand

"It is worth it to me to participate in the South Africa ACE program because I want to keep growing as a person over the summer. I want to build new relationships and explore a new culture as well as support them through the organizations."
- Cara Sambeth, Field Hockey, ACE in Place South Africa

"I think one of the most valuable things we can do in life is to connect with, understand, and help those around us. By participating in the ACE in Place Peru program this summer, I know that I will be able make an impact on a scale larger than any I've worked with before, and will learn so much from my fellow student-athletes and mentors that will continue to help me grow professionally and personally for years to come."
- Katya Sander, Women's Gymnastics, ACE in Place Peru

"Participating in ACE this summer will allow me to learn about many new cultures and work with different groups of people. I am extremely excited to be able to develop solutions for real-life problems."
- Amanda Zeng, Women's Gymnastics, ACE in Place South Africa
 
WHEN & WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
Participants will work closely with program leaders based across the world who will facilitate team building, encourage meaningful opportunities for group reflection, manage community partner relationships, offer mentorship and support during project work, track project progress, and organize cultural enrichment opportunities.

• ACE in Colorado (in-person)
  Program dates: June 15 – July 6
  Student-athletes will assist in promoting global conservation and environmental stewardship efforts by supporting community-led initiatives in the western rural regions of Colorado located near the communities of Gunnison and Durango. Community partner projects include volunteering on an organic farm, supporting initiatives to regenerate alpine wetlands, and learning at a conservation laboratory about regenerative practices to protect food and water systems. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about conservation and ingenious communities by visiting the Mesa Verde National Park and the Ute Mountain Tribal Park.
   
• ACE in Place South Africa
  Program dates: June 26 – July 15
  Student-athletes will virtually support SA Harvest, an NGO based in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, South Africa that seeks to provide South Africans with access to adequate, nutritious food on a daily basis through their food rescue and distribution platform. In addition to their service project work with SA Harvest, students will participate in a virtual cooking class, take a isiXhosa language lesson, and learn about Zulu cultural traditions.
   
• ACE in Place Peru
  Program dates: June 26 - July 15
  Student-athletes will virtually support CDS's environmental conservation mission to facilitate education, research and sustainable development activities in the Peruvian Oxapampa cloud forests. In addition, student will have the opportunity to take a virtual cooking class and participate in a Quechua language and music history class.
   
• ACE in Place Thailand
  Program dates: July 24 – August 11
  Student-athletes will virtually support Shark Guardian, a UK-based organization dedicated to advancing the conservation of sharks and the natural environment in Thailand through conservation, education, and research projects. In addition to their service project work, students will learn to cook a Thai dish from a local community-based NGO, participate in a Muay Thai martial arts class, and learn about Thai culture from community experts. 
   
• ACE in Place Vietnam
  Program dates: June 26 – July 15
  Student-athletes will virtually plan and create content together with Vietnamese college students through the Coach for College program. Together the ACE student-athletes (virtually) and the Vietnamese college students (in-person) will teach academics, sports, and life skills at a summer camp for middle school youth in rural Vietnam, with a focus on mentorship and promoting higher education. As part of the program, ACE students will have time each day for cross-cultural exchange activities and to build relationships with their Vietnamese college co-teachers as they learn about each other's lives and cultures.

LEARN MORE:

• Instagram: DukeStanfordACE; @ACEAthletes
• Twitter: Duke & Stanford ACE Program; @ACEAthletes
• Facebook: Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement Program; @dukestanfordACE
• YouTube: Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement (ACE) Program
• LinkedIn: The Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement Program (ACE)
• Summer 2022 Hashtags: #ACEathletes, #ACEinColorado, #ACEinPlacePeru, #ACEinPlaceSouthAfrica, #ACEinPlaceVietnam, #ACEinThailand
• For more quotes and information about the 2022 participants, please see each student-athlete's profile page on the ACE website: https://ace.duke.edu/participants/