The A.C.E. (Accepting the Challenge of Excellence) Award recognizes high school students who have had to overcome great physical, emotional, or social obstacles and are now eligible for high school graduation.

This is a positive program with two key objectives: it helps encourage students to overcome their hardships and get back on track toward a high school diploma, and it recognizes those students who are often overlooked for their accomplishments. This special recognition serves as a powerful example to all students that hard work and perseverance are rewarded.

Additional instructions to share with students:

1. Contact your local high school for a potential candidate for the award. A partial list of difficulties to overcome could include physical, language, child abuse, delinquency, and/or substance abuse.
2. Ensure the candidate will graduate from high school this year, OR complete GED classes by the age of 19, by the time of submission of application to National Headquarters (June 1).
3. Obtain school official and parent/guardian signatures.
4. Recognize the selected individual at an appropriate club meeting.
5. If you plan to enter your candidate in the district competition, be sure the A.C.E. Award chairperson has the description narrative (500 words maximum) and the candidate’s two brief narratives (250 words maximum) before the deadline.
6. The district may use the same judging procedure as the National Headquarters or determine its selection process.
7. The district may select 1 or 2 (if opposite gender) candidates to submit to National Headquarters by June 1. You should advise the candidate that he/she may be contacted by a representative of The National Exchange Club to obtain additional information for publicity purposes. 
8. The $15,000 scholarship must be used within four years of the day the award is received (National Convention date). Any money remaining at the four-year mark will be forfeited.