ACI Global Home Middle East Region Portal Western Europe Region Portal
Email Address is required Invalid Email Address
In today’s market, it is imperative to be knowledgeable and have an edge over the competition. ACI members have it…they are engaged, informed, and stay up to date by taking advantage of benefits that ACI membership provides them.
Read more about membership
Learn More
Become an ACI Member
Topics In Concrete
Home > News and Events > News > News Detail
12/1/2010
Share this article on Social Media
Before his sudden death on September 18, 2010, Dick Stehly was in the process of completing a President's Memo on the numerous ways the American Concrete Institute connects with students and young members. In the spirit of staying on course with the objectives Dick set for his Presidential term, we include this last Memo as a tribute to him. Through Dick's gift to the Concrete Legacy Society, the ACI Foundation was able to endow a student fellowship in his honor. In further recognition of Dick's strong commitment to the Institute's mission of educating and mentoring young professionals, ACI has established the Richard D. Stehly Memorial Scholarship. —Kenneth C. Hover, ACI President It may be cliché to remark that young people are our future. It is, however, quite true. When we fulfill the mission of effectively educating and encouraging younger generations, we ensure that our shared futures are prosperous. With this spirit in mind, ACI has consistently aimed to engage the students of today because we recognize that they are the professionals of tomorrow. A few years ago, ACI began offering free e-memberships to students with the hope that we would see more participation. We could not have predicted the extent to which this initiative would be successful. Since 2005, ACI has seen a 550% increase in its student membership, a 250% increase in student attendance at conventions, and an impressive 490% increase in students serving on ACI committees. Today, we have approximately 6000 student members, including many students outside the U.S. ACI has been reaching out to students individually for many years by providing guidance, instruction, and the opportunity to meet and learn from professionals in the concrete industry. This year, we have added another avenue for students to participate in ACI while earning distinction for their colleges and universities. Students can earn points for their schools and put their alma maters in the running toward receiving an ACI Award for University Student Activities. Students earn points by attending ACI conventions, serving on ACI committees, and participating in ACI's student competitions, as well as those sponsored by other organizations, such as the American Society of Civil Engineers' National Concrete Canoe Competition. Additionally, students gain points for their schools when they volunteer in neighborhood revitalization programs or otherwise donate their time to construction-related programs. This points program creates a self-reinforcing system wherein students, universities (and their communities), and ACI all gain. Universities receive recognition for their efforts to encourage students to participate in career-building activities, and ACI welcomes valuable new young members who bring their creativity and exuberance to the organization. As more students and young professionals have come to call ACI home, we as an organization have recognized new ways we might serve them and, in turn, all of our members. Most significantly, electronic dissemination of information has become an increasingly important aspect of ACI membership. Students are able to take advantage of our free e-membership, electronically receiving ACI publications. We also have a presence on Facebook and LinkedIn, inviting Web users to explore all that ACI has to offer. All Web users can take advantage of the Concrete Knowledge Center, which offers up-to-date resources on concrete and related topics, providing links to technical documents on a variety of subjects. Additionally, ACI Web sessions are available for members to watch at their convenience. These recordings of presentations from ACI conventions and other concrete industry events are offered free of charge. Through ACI's e-Learning program, members can receive training for ACI certification exams at their own pace and on their own schedules. Participants can earn CEUs and advance along their career paths anywhere they have a computer and an Internet connection. These kinds of innovations are helping ACI to expand its educational outreach while meeting the needs of its new members. Back to Memo List
Before his sudden death on September 18, 2010, Dick Stehly was in the process of completing a President's Memo on the numerous ways the American Concrete Institute connects with students and young members. In the spirit of staying on course with the objectives Dick set for his Presidential term, we include this last Memo as a tribute to him. Through Dick's gift to the Concrete Legacy Society, the ACI Foundation was able to endow a student fellowship in his honor. In further recognition of Dick's strong commitment to the Institute's mission of educating and mentoring young professionals, ACI has established the Richard D. Stehly Memorial Scholarship. —Kenneth C. Hover, ACI President
It may be cliché to remark that young people are our future. It is, however, quite true. When we fulfill the mission of effectively educating and encouraging younger generations, we ensure that our shared futures are prosperous. With this spirit in mind, ACI has consistently aimed to engage the students of today because we recognize that they are the professionals of tomorrow.
A few years ago, ACI began offering free e-memberships to students with the hope that we would see more participation. We could not have predicted the extent to which this initiative would be successful. Since 2005, ACI has seen a 550% increase in its student membership, a 250% increase in student attendance at conventions, and an impressive 490% increase in students serving on ACI committees. Today, we have approximately 6000 student members, including many students outside the U.S.
ACI has been reaching out to students individually for many years by providing guidance, instruction, and the opportunity to meet and learn from professionals in the concrete industry. This year, we have added another avenue for students to participate in ACI while earning distinction for their colleges and universities. Students can earn points for their schools and put their alma maters in the running toward receiving an ACI Award for University Student Activities.
Students earn points by attending ACI conventions, serving on ACI committees, and participating in ACI's student competitions, as well as those sponsored by other organizations, such as the American Society of Civil Engineers' National Concrete Canoe Competition. Additionally, students gain points for their schools when they volunteer in neighborhood revitalization programs or otherwise donate their time to construction-related programs. This points program creates a self-reinforcing system wherein students, universities (and their communities), and ACI all gain. Universities receive recognition for their efforts to encourage students to participate in career-building activities, and ACI welcomes valuable new young members who bring their creativity and exuberance to the organization.
As more students and young professionals have come to call ACI home, we as an organization have recognized new ways we might serve them and, in turn, all of our members. Most significantly, electronic dissemination of information has become an increasingly important aspect of ACI membership. Students are able to take advantage of our free e-membership, electronically receiving ACI publications.
We also have a presence on Facebook and LinkedIn, inviting Web users to explore all that ACI has to offer. All Web users can take advantage of the Concrete Knowledge Center, which offers up-to-date resources on concrete and related topics, providing links to technical documents on a variety of subjects.
Additionally, ACI Web sessions are available for members to watch at their convenience. These recordings of presentations from ACI conventions and other concrete industry events are offered free of charge. Through ACI's e-Learning program, members can receive training for ACI certification exams at their own pace and on their own schedules. Participants can earn CEUs and advance along their career paths anywhere they have a computer and an Internet connection.
These kinds of innovations are helping ACI to expand its educational outreach while meeting the needs of its new members.
Back to Memo List
ACI University is a global, online learning resource, providing on-demand access to a wide range of topics on concrete materials, design, and construction
LEARN MORE »
These Awards will celebrate innovation and inspire excellence throughout the global concrete design and construction community.
The American Concrete Institute's newest Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-19) and Commentary is now available in print and digital formats. Learn more about the 2019 edition, plus supplemental resources from ACI.
Visit the ACI 318 Portal Now »