Through our partnership with workforce development groups, Exelon is strengthening STEM education and opening doors to energy industry careers.
We also have long-standing partnerships with select middle schools, high schools and youth organizations in underrepresented communities within our service territories. We provide mentorship, resources and education support, knowing this is where a diverse,
innovative workforce of the future begins.
Exelon and the Illinois Institute of Technology have created a $1.2 million partnership with the Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center, a Chicago public high school. This unique school-wide STEM program allows qualified students to earn college credits at a four-year university at no cost beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.
ComEd launched the Icebox Derby with participants from Girls4Science, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana and the Chicago Urban League. Teams transformed old refrigerators into electric cars, then raced those cars for the Icebox Derby STEM Cup and other prizes. Young women, ages 13-18, worked with mentors - all ComEd technical experts - and learned how STEM can be fun and have real-world applications.
BGE hosts on-site education workshops for the Higher Achievement Afterschool Academy. Higher Achievement scholars travel to the BGE training facility to learn about careers in the energy business, including a "day in the life" of a line worker. In addition to educational sessions, we also help students build their own generators. It's an unforgettable experience and great exposure to STEM-based career paths.
Constellation's E2 Energy to Educate grant program funds a variety of STEM projects. They're hands-on, energy focused projects that reach 7,000 students across the country. One example: Green Street Academy in Baltimore, focused on new electric vehicle and photovoltaic technologies. This team-based after-school program inspired students to think differently about energy - and themselves.
PECO and Drexel University have developed robust STEM programs for students in West Philadelphia. The program - called the Drexel Exelon Foundation/PECO Community Education Collaborative - began with a $1 million grant and will receive new life thanks to an additional $500,000. Its focus is on two neighborhood schools, Morton McMichael School and Samuel Powel School. The program includes customized education plans for every student.
Education in general - and STEM in particular - is a key focus at Exelon.
Since 2010, Exelon has given nearly $30 million to support educational programs that strengthen and enrich our communities. Because we're in the energy business, we are especially focused on programs that promote the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
We hope to educate and inspire promising students - and develop future leaders.
