CHICAGO, Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past six
weeks, 30 young women from across Chicagoland have worked
determinedly in teams to transform old refrigerators into electric
race cars. They finally saw the fruits of their labor this
Saturday, August 23, as they raced
their cars head-to-head with fellow competitors and competed in a
series of STEM-related challenges for the chance to take home the
inaugural Icebox Derby STEM Cup and other fantastic prizes. Sonic
Doom was named the official winner, followed by the runners-up,
Chill Crew.
The Icebox Derby, a program launched by ComEd with participants
provided by their community partners, Girls4Science, Girl Scouts of
Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana and the Chicago Urban
League, and sponsor 1871, is designed to educate and empower young
women to explore opportunities in STEM (science, technology,
engineering and math). It is also intended to provide an
educational platform by which the contestants, ages 13-18, get to
work closely with mentors, all of whom are ComEd technical experts,
and learn about practical applications of STEM in the world and in
the workforce. Important lessons in teamwork and safety are also
closely tied to this initiative.
"ComEd is s a leading energy delivery company that is focused on
advancing technology and innovation and we believe, as such, it is
our responsibility to create opportunities like the Icebox Derby to
help young women understand that STEM subjects are more than just
chapters in a book. STEM offers great career opportunities and we
have the capability and the passion to create unique
education-focused programs like this one, with the great support of
our community partners, and we take this responsibility very
seriously," said Anne Pramaggiore,
President and CEO of ComEd.
Each Icebox Derby contestant received a $1,000 in scholarship for completing the program.
The first place winners, Sonic Doom, also received a six-day stay
on the National Flight Academy's campus and participation in their
Ambition Program, which is focused on the exploration of STEM; the
runners up, Chill Crew, received $100
gift cards, both of which were secret prizes revealed at Saturday's
event.
Pramaggiore continued, "We are so proud of these girls and the
great things they've accomplished in just several short weeks.
We've enjoyed following their journey and are excited by the energy
and enthusiasm they have brought to this competition, and applaud
the girls and their amazing support networks who have empowered
them to complete this challenge. We hope they take the knowledge
they acquired here and apply it to opportunities in the STEM fields
which inspire each of them as individuals."
Madison Pettis, Star of Lab Rats
on the Disney® Channel, and Louesa
Akin, Microbiologist and Icebox Derby Video Host, served as
co-hosts of the event. Attendees of the Icebox Derby Race Day event
included ComEd executives and Icebox Derby team mentors,
representatives from participating organizations Girls4Science,
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and
Northwest Indiana and the Chicago
Urban League, local business and community leaders and elected
officials, as well as an audience of contestants' family and
friends and the general public.
You can relive the excitement of this six-week competition and
find out more about the program itself by visiting
www.theiceboxderby.com. Followers can also track their journey on
social media by searching hashtag #Empower, as well as each team's
individual hashtag, which can be found on the icebox derby
website.
About the Icebox Derby
The Icebox Derby is a
six-week challenge designed to empower young women to explore
opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)
through a challenging, hands-on competition, where contestants work
in teams to engineer race cars from old refrigerators. By
leveraging ComEd's Fridge & Freezer Recycling Rewards program
aimed at driving energy efficiency, the Icebox Derby supports the
company's commitment to creating sustainable and innovative
solutions for the region. The public can track each team's progress
while learning about important STEM resources and opportunities
online at www.theiceboxderby.com.
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.
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SOURCE ComEd