Can an Old Refrigerator Be Turned into an Electric Race Car? ComEd Launches New Icebox Derby STEM Initiative
July 10 2014 - 04:22PM
Business Wire
- Inaugural Icebox Derby Encourages
Young Women to Explore Opportunities in STEM
- Six-week challenge to Feature
Student-designed Cars Built from Old Refrigerators
- Initiative Fosters Learning and
Highlights Importance of Innovation, Science and Engineering
Degrees and Careers
Thirty-one aspiring female inventors will compete to build and
race electric cars created from old refrigerators as part of a new
initiative launched by ComEd. The program, dubbed “The Icebox
Derby,” is co-sponsored by Girls4Science, Girl Scouts of Greater
Chicago and Northwest Indiana and the Chicago Urban League and is
designed to educate and empower young women to explore
opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and
math).
ComEd Launches First Annual Icebox Derby
to Inspire Young Women to Pursue Careers in STEM - To help
cultivate the next generation of women innovators, ComEd, along
with community partners Girls4Science, Girl Scouts of Greater
Chicago and Northwest Indiana and the Chicago Urban league, are
launching the first annual Icebox Derby. This six-week challenge is
designed to empower young women to explore opportunities in STEM
(science, technology, engineering and math) through a challenging,
hands-on competition, where they work in teams to engineer race
cars from old refrigerators. On August 23, the teams compete in a
final race at the Chicago Field Museum for a chance at glory, and a
shot at taking home the "STEM Cup".
This six-week long Icebox Derby project will challenge six teams
of girls, aged 13-18, to build electric race cars out of recycled
refrigerators. The girls will rely on teamwork and ingenuity to
complete the assignment, but will have the support of mentors from
ComEd and its community partners and STEM experts on hand to guide
them. This exciting educational competition provides a platform by
which the girls will gain real world experience and understand some
of the practical applications of the STEM subjects they learn in
school.
“We are excited to launch this year’s inaugural Icebox Derby,
which underscores our commitment to STEM education, and look
forward to providing a creative platform for these young women to
develop their skills, while showcasing their tenacity, ingenuity
and talent,” said Anne Pramaggiore, President and CEO of ComEd. “As
the local electric utility in Northern Illinois, we understand that
it is our responsibility to help power the communities we serve,
not just today, but in the future. In addition to our commitment to
advancing the reliability and sustainability of the services we
provide, we are invested in helping to cultivate the young people
who will become the nation’s next generation of innovators.”
Each week, the teams will participate in a series of challenges
that will put their STEM skills to the test as they build their
Icebox Derby cars. These weekly challenges will take place at the
Derby Garage (451 N. Wood St., Chicago, IL 60622) and include (all
times are in CT):
Date Challenge
July 16, 6:00 pm “An Icebox
What?: Building the Chassis, Wheels and Transmission” July
23, 6:00 pm “The Great Engine Enigma: Installing the Electric
Motor” July 30, 6:00 pm “Steering the Way: Setting up the Steering”
August 6, 6:00 pm “Looking Like Pros: Optimizing Car Aerodynamics”
August 13, 6:00 pm “A Bird? A Plane? Oh, It’s an Icebox:
Customizing the Car” August 20, 6:00 pm “The End of the Build and a
New Beginning: Racing Trials” August 23, 2:00 pm RACE DAY (at The
Field Museum)
Fans can follow each team’s progress as the race cars come
together and show their support for individuals and teams along the
way, at www.theiceboxderby.com. Followers can also root them on,
using #Empower, as well as each team’s hashtag, which can be found
on the Icebox Derby homepage.
The Icebox Derby also leverages ComEd’s Fridge & Freezer
Recycling program, aimed at driving energy efficiency. The Fridge
& Freezer Recycling program is among a wide variety of
programs, tools and resources ComEd offers through its Smart Ideas®
energy efficiency programs to help its customers stay
environmentally conscious, conserve energy and save money. ComEd
recently announced that it achieved a milestone of recycling its
200,000th unit through the program. To learn more about ComEd’s
Fridge & Freezer Recycling program, customers can call
855-433-2700 or visit ComEd.com/FridgeRecycling.
About ComEd
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based
Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC), the nation’s leading competitive
energy provider, with approximately 6.6 million customers. ComEd
provides service to approximately 3.8 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 and YouTube.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140710006312/en/
ComEd Media RelationsElizabeth Keating,
312-394-3500www.comed.com/news
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