ComEd Developing Next Generation of STEM Leaders During Black History Month

ComEd STEM Labs encourage 50 local high school 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 its ComEd STEM Labs event in which local high school students learned about solar generation STEM careers while building their own solar-powered battery chargers alongside ComEd mentors.

“ComEd is committed to developing the next generation of STEM leaders by providing opportunities for local high school students to build their experience and confidence in the space as they chart their own career paths,” said Melissa Washington, Senior Vice President of Customer Operations and Strategic Initiatives at ComEd. “To be successful at reaching our clean energy goals, and maintaining our award-winning grid reliability, the future STEM workforce must reflect the communities served. Programs like ComEd’s STEM Labs help inspire more local talent in northern Illinois to pursue STEM education that will not only lead to lucrative careers, but also support the communities we serve.”

The event engaged 50 local high school students from across Chicagoland and northern Illinois on Saturday, February 22, at ComEd’s Chicago North facility. The students worked with ComEd mentors to learn about clean energy solutions like solar power generation, explore various STEM careers at ComEd and receive hands on experience building their own solar-powered battery charger. In addition to building their own chargers 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 is made of Black Americans with at least a bachelor’s degree. Increasing STEM 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.

With increased electrification, data and technology in our daily lives, STEM career opportunities will continue to grow throughout northern Illinois, providing family-sustaining careers for many developing professionals. ComEd STEM Labs is one example of how ComEd is preparing more students across northern Illinois to become leaders in the clean-energy transition by jump starting their STEM interest and education trajectory. Additional STEM and scholarship programs include ComEd’s Construct Youth Academy, Tools of the Trade, Future of Energy Scholarships and After School Matters. These programs all focus on giving diverse groups of students greater exposure to the possibilities of STEM. ComEd STEM Labs is one of the many programs ComEd sponsors to encourage more students of color and women to pursue STEM careers.

To learn more about ComEd STEM programs, visit ComEd.com/STEM.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company serving more than 10.7 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, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.

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