ComEd Developing Next Generation of STEM Leaders During Black History Month

ComEd STEM Labs encourage 70 Black students to pursue careers in STEM

As part of its annual Black History Month celebration and to help diversify the pipeline of students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, ComEd hosted an event in which local Black high school students worked alongside ComEd engineers to build and operate their own robots and explore STEM careers.

“ComEd is committed to developing a skilled local workforce by providing opportunities for communities that are historically under-represented in STEM to build experience and confidence in this space,” said Melissa Washington, Senior Vice President of Customer Operations at ComEd. “As we move toward a cleaner energy future, we need to build a tech-savvy workforce. We hope that STEM programs like this will inspire students to pursue a STEM-focused career.”

The event, part of ComEd’s STEM Labs program, engaged seventy Black high school students from across Chicagoland and northern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 11, at ComEd’s Chicago North facility. They worked in teams with ComEd mentors to build, code and test drive small robots under the guidance of special guest, Dr. Kate Biberdorf, a renowned author, chemist and science educator. In addition to building robots and networking with ComEd mentors and executives, each student received a $250 scholarship upon completing the program.

Black Americans make up 12% of the U.S. workforce, but only 9% of STEM workers. Additional research shows that only 7% of the STEM workforce comprises Black Americans with at least a bachelor’s degree. Increasing STEM education exposure for Black high school students increases the likelihood they will pursue opportunities that lead to careers in STEM, according to the National Science Foundation.

ComEd STEM Labs is one of the many programs ComEd sponsors to encourage more students of color and women to pursue STEM careers. Other ComEd programs include the ComEd EV Rally for Chicagoland girls and the Stay in School Initiative, among others.

Held during the summer, the ComEd EV Rally, an evolution of the ComEd Icebox Derby program, educates and empowers young women to explore careers in STEM and become the innovative workforce of the future. The program provides girls the opportunity to learn about electric vehicles and STEM, connect with female STEM mentors and build electric go-karts.

Students, parents and educators interested in being notified about upcoming ComEd STEM youth programs and when to apply can submit their email address at: STEMsignUp.com/ComEd.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information, visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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