Beyond academic engagement, interns learn leadership skills through the weekly 8-mile run, labs, and research projects. ACE interns gain insights into planning and decision-making processes, and possess outstanding self-reflection and critical analysis skills.

Because physical fitness is an integral part of the ACE program, interns participate in a weekly 8-mile run through the Griffiss Air Force Base. Though running is a highly individual sport, interns motivate themselves and their peers through high fives and encouraging words. The weekly ACE run promotes not only physical fitness but team building through shared adversity.

"Running, like ACE, is an intrinsically individual activity, but along the way, our peers give a shout of encouragement, a high five, or simply presence when we have difficulty, so that we can achieve things we thought impossible."

These operations culminate in the Capstone event, where interns apply their knowledge to achieve mission objectives in a simulated cyber-warfare scenario.

In addition to attending lectures, interns are also responsible for writing comprehensive technical solutions to open-ended problems, as well as explaining these technical concepts in time-constrained oral presentations. This dynamic skill set is instrumental to the final Capstone operations, as well as the interns’ future endeavors and careers.

Interns attempt to solve research problems they encounter with the aid of research mentors, which consist of academic professionals and technical leaders. Each mentor provides a unique set of skills to assist the ACE interns through the course of their project.