Area 10th-grade students participating in the Access to College Education Program (ACE) will have the opportunity to learn about the hospitality industry firsthand Friday, Dec. 11, at Cornell University. Eighty students from school districts in Tompkins and Cortland counties will attend the conference on "The Hospitality Industry and Hospitality Education" at Cornell's Statler Hotel.

Each year, 10th-grade ACE students are invited to the Cornell campus to learn about the breadth of the hospitality industry and possibilities for future jobs. Students have enjoyed the opportunity to come to Cornell and meet faculty and students from the School of Hotel Administration who have sparked their interest in exploring the hospitality industry.

Conference activities will include tours of various Hotel School departments, food preparation demonstrations and hands-on cake decorating, a luncheon with Hotel School students and presentations on educational planning and career opportunities.

Participants also will have the chance to discuss issues related to the hospitality industry with Hotel School faculty, staff and students.

The Access to College Education Program is designed to help academically capable high school students overcome barriers to college education. ACE works with students with personal, family and financial concerns that may prevent them from considering college as an option. It is a partnership among 14 local school districts and Cornell University, Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland and Tompkins Cortland Community College. This event is one of a variety of opportunities that are planned for ACE students throughout high school to increase their motivation to apply to college and improve the probability of their success in college.