ACE Summer Experience

STANFORD, Calif. - The Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement Program (ACE) is set to offer its immersive summer service experiences for the eighth consecutive year in 2023.

This summer marks the return of ACE's in-person international programming after a three-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ACE program, a collaboration between Stanford and Duke Athletics, will offer international in-person programming in South Africa, Vietnam and a new location in Costa Rica for summer 2023. This summer, ACE will also continue its virtual international program option with a virtual program that focuses on community partners in Thailand.

The ACE program provides full-funding for selected Stanford and Duke student-athletes to participate in three-week, immersive summer service experiences with international community partners. The program is made possible by the generous support of David Rubenstein and Peter and Helen Bing. The ACE program reflects Stanford and Duke's shared missions of public service and international engagement, and to date, remains the only two-university international service program designed specifically for student-athletes.

The 2023 edition will feature 21 Stanford and 19 Duke student-athletes who will work on collaborative service projects, form relationships across the Stanford and Duke athletic community and connect with community partners around the world.
 

2023 Stanford Participants

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

"Participating in the ACE program this summer is a worthwhile investment as it offers me the chance to contribute to sustainable community development efforts while gaining valuable cross-cultural communication and leadership skills. What excites me the most about my upcoming ACE experience is the opportunity to challenge myself and gain a deeper understanding of different cultures while making a positive impact on communities and bringing back these experiences and insights to Stanford, both in the classroom and in the pool."
- Ivy Davis, Artistic Swimming, ACE in Costa Rica

"To me, ACE represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to immerse myself in something totally new, to expand my breadth of knowledge, to understand a culture different from mine and the people that embody it, to change the world for the better. My dream is to work internationally in sustainable development, so ACE will be an unforgettable three-weeks that not only give me a taste of that dream but also provide knowledge that I will use my entire life."
- Emilie Moore, Women's Swimming and Diving, ACE in South Africa

"From my perspective, there are two important reasons which combine to make the ACE programs so incredible: the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of other people, and the opportunity to share that experience with other student-athletes. I'm excited for ACE because it is an opportunity which combines these two things, which is very unique."
- Marcus Kushner, Men's Gymnastics, ACE in Vietnam
 
ACE participants will work closely with program leaders 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 Costa Rica (in-person)
  Program dates: June 16 – July 7
  Student-athletes will work on conservation-focused projects with local community members in the Costa Rican village of Gandoca to promote wildlife and ecosystem conservation and sustainable resource use. Projects will be focused on assisting with sustainable agriculture practices, supporting the overall ecological health of the area, and conserving the local sea turtle population. Cultural enrichment activities will include opportunities to visit organic chocolate and coffee farms, take guided hikes through the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, and engage in Spanish language lessons and local cooking classes.
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• ACE in South Africa (in-person)
  Program dates: June 26 – July 15
  Student-athletes will contribute to self-empowerment and sustainable development projects in communities around Cape Town through educational and sports workshops and will support local outreach and educational awareness programs. ACE participants will work alongside community partners in projects working with local schools, NGOs and/or social enterprises that are addressing youth education and environmental conservation in Cape Town. Student-athletes will learn more about the history of Apartheid through trips to Robben Island and the District 6 Museum as well as the unique environmental features by visiting Table Mountain and going on a Cape Point Peninsula tour.
   
• ACE in Vietnam (in-person)
  Program dates: June 26 - July 15
  Student-athletes will live and work with Vietnamese college students who are also participating in the program as first-time volunteers. Together, they will teach academic subjects, coach sports, and lead life skills sessions at a summer day camp organized by Coach for College at a local middle school in the Mekong Delta of rural Southern Vietnam.  The student-athletes will also travel together on the two weekends during the camp, one to experience C?n Tho City, where many of the Vietnamese college students are from, and the other to stay on a large island in the Mekong River, learning more about traditional daily activities and culture of Vietnam's rural south.
   
• ACE in Thailand (virtual)
  Program dates: June 25 – July 13
  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. ACE participants will also 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 participants will work closely with program leaders 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.
   
• 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 2023 Hashtags: #ACEathletes, #ACEinCostaRica, #ACEinSouthAfrica, #ACEinVietnam, #ACEinPlaceThailand
• For more quotes and information about the 2023 participants, please see each student-athlete's profile page on the ACE website: https://ace.duke.edu/participants/