CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ComEd's
fifth-annual Black History Month Solar Spotlight continues
this weekend as African-American high school students from across
northern Illinois come together to
learn about solar energy and future opportunities in STEM. On
Saturday, Feb. 15 at Illinois Tech, students will continue working side
by side with ComEd mentors and executives in hands-on activities
that show how solar energy can make a difference in the world.
"We use innovation and inclusivity to help solve problems in our
communities, power our society and shape the future of our planet,"
said Joe Dominguez, CEO of ComEd.
"Our youth are our most valuable resource as we take on new
challenges in a changing world. Solar Spotlight is designed to
empower students in their STEM interests and be a force for
positive impact in the world."
Through a custom STEM curriculum and collaboration with We Share
Solar, students will build portable suitcases that provide backup
power for lights, cell phones and computers during emergencies. The
suitcases will be sent with personal notes from the students to
Kenya and The Bahamas, where communities continue to
struggle to access basic resources, including power, following the
devastation of Hurricane Dorian in September
2019.
Power was wiped out across the Grand
Bahama and Abaco islands as a result of the storm, affecting
thousands of people. According to recent reports, power is not
expected to be fully restored on the islands until early
summer.
"As Bahamians continue to rebuild from one of the worst natural
disasters in the country's history, it puts into perspective myriad
challenges we are facing all over the world," said ComEd Director
of External Affairs, Southern Region, and Bahamas Honorary Consul
Michael Fountain. "Through ComEd's Black History Month Solar
Spotlight, we are helping teach students key principles to carry
forward—both with the STEM training they're receiving and
understanding of solar energy as a renewable resource, as well as
what it means to be part of a global community and the important
roles they can play with their future."
Solar Spotlight is one of several programs ComEd has created to
engage the next generation of local STEM talent and increase
diversity in those fields. While demand for STEM professionals is
growing in Illinois,
African-Americans remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce. In
2018, African-Americans held less than 5 percent of STEM jobs in
Illinois, despite making up more
than 14 percent of the state's population, according to the
Illinois Science & Technology Coalition.
More than 200 students have participated in the ComEd Solar
Spotlight program for Black History Month over the past four years.
It is the first in a series of STEM programs that ComEd leads each
year. In the summer, ComEd's Icebox Derby will challenge
Chicagoland girls to turn recycled fridges into electric racecars,
and in September, ComEd will host a second Solar Spotlight program
during Hispanic Heritage Month.
For more information, visit ComEd.com/SolarSpotlight.
About ComEd
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ:
EXC), a Fortune 100 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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SOURCE ComEd