ACE Summer Camp
ACE Summer Camps 2026
July 11 - July 18, 2026
Join the College of Architecture and Planning, in partnership with the ACE Mentor Program, for a weeklong, overnight summer camp on the University of Colorado Denver campus. Faculty from CU Denver’s architecture program will lead an investigation in design, digital fabrication, and sustainable design.
Students will have the opportunity to participate in a design build project with other students from ACE Mentor affiliates across the US. Evenings and additional activities will include exploring all that Denver and the Rocky Mountains have to offer. Check out photos from past camps and watch this video recap of camps made by former camper and camp counselor Ethan Hibler, and this video by former camper and camp counselor Danna Ochoa!
Program Highlights
- Program led by experienced College of Architecture and Planning faculty and student teaching assistants
- Sketching and building of models
- The opportunity to work in architectural design software
- The opportunity to use various hand tools and materials
- Designing, planning and fabrication of a project
- Guest lectures and site visits with industry experts
- Experience living on campus in a university residential hall
- Admissions events with current students
- The opportunity to meet and work with students from all over the U.S.
- Social activities such as bowling, amusement parks, Meow Wolf, sketch hikes in the mountains, and more
Design Build Project
Past projects have included rooftop furniture, indoor furnishings and installations for the College of Architecture and Planning, outdoor workspaces along the Cherry Creek Path, and more.
Registration
ACE covers the cost of registration, a $2,000 value. Please contact your ACE affiliate if you are interested in registering.
Included with Registration
- Double or triple occupancy room in the City Heights residential hall
- Meals and snacks
- Transportation to and from the airport and to activities
- Instruction of all sessions 
- Project materials
- Social activities
- T-shirts and other swag
Program Partners
FAQs
Support ACE Summer Camps
Your support enables us to continue providing a high-quality camp experience while impacting young designers, architects, engineers, and builders! Sponsorship opportunities include providing funding for meals, site visit transportation, building materials, field trips, and more. Sponsors will be featured on the camp website, t-shirts, and all camp materials. All gifts to summer camps are tax-deductible.
See the feedback from some of our ACE Summer Camp participants:
"The ACE Summer Camp was truly one of the best experiences I've ever had, and I appreciate the opportunity to attend." - Brianna, Washington
"I just wanted to thank you for everything you did to make this week possible. It was an amazing experience, I learned so much and got to know so many cool people. I hope you continue to do this program as it was the highlight of my summer." - Jake, Nevada
"I really enjoyed the ACE summer camp this year. The project was an interesting idea that gave me a lot of creativity to design something I liked. I loved all of the counselors and teachers and meeting other ACE students was very fun. The outings to bowling, Meow Wolf, Red Rocks, etc were fun and well-planned, my favorite being Meow Wolf. Overall my experience was great, thanks!" - Olivia, Colorado
“The trip to Denver was a fantastic experience, and I made friends that I still talk to today. It opened the door to a new city and environment and allowed me to adjust to college life almost two weeks before I went to college. The counselors and mentors were incredibly helpful and engaging with our work. Our activities and work sessions were always fun, even when we spent 7 to 8 hours working at the Architecture building and then going out to get pizza or going on a field trip to the amusement park.” - Braden, Pennsylvania.
“It was really fun! I met many new people, visited new places, and learned a lot!” – Student
“Wonderful time and quality content.” - Student