Icebox Derby competition culminates in a multi-heat race with academic challenges and prizes designed to further participants’ education

Celebrity host Amandla Stenberg joins ComEd to advocate for gender equality and close the STEM skills gap in the U.S.

ComEd is proud to announce the success of its second annual Icebox Derby Race Day, a unique program focused on promoting women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Thirty young women took part in this competition earlier today at The Chicago Field Museum, and one team – Flaming Zing – emerged the victors, followed by the runners-up Ice Bolts. Over the course of four-weeks, thirty industrious young women worked in teams to build electric race cars from recycled refrigerators, sourced from ComEd’s Refrigerator and Freezer Recycling Program. Today, the project came to an exciting finish, as they raced their vehicles against one another and competed in a series of STEM challenges which tested their skills, teamwork and mental fortitude.

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ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, COO Terence Donnelly, celebrity host Amandla Stenberg and the winning team -- Flaming Zing -- at the Field Museum in Chicago for the electric company's Icebox Derby Race Day, encouraging young women to pursue careers in STEM. (Photo: Business Wire)

ComEd launched the Icebox Derby in 2014 as a creative, hands-on educational experience to inspire young women to pursue careers in STEM. With the support of community partners the Chicago Urban League, Girls4Science, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana and Operation PUSH, this local effort provides an opportunity for girls ages 13-18 to work closely with mentors – ComEd technical experts and graduate students from six local universities – and learn about practical applications of STEM in the world and in the workforce.

“As Illinois’ largest utility, ComEd is dedicated to delivering safe and reliable electric service to our millions of customers. But we are also focused on powering progress and the people in our communities. The Icebox Derby is one of our most important efforts to engage girls at a young age in a STEM experience and to encourage girls to develop themselves to become part of our workforce of the future,” said Anne Pramaggiore, president and CEO of ComEd. “We are so proud of these girls and the great things they’ve accomplished in a few short weeks. I am personally inspired by the level of intelligence and enthusiasm they have brought to this competition, and thankful to their family and friends whose support has empowered them to be here with us today.”

Each ComEd Icebox Derby participant – and the local graduate student mentors involved with the program – received a $1,000 scholarship. The members of winning team Flaming Zing each received a Macbook Air, along with all-expenses-paid admission to a week-long technology camp. At the onset of the program, ComEd pledged to contribute additional funding for the Icebox Derby participants, fueled by public support. By sharing one of the Icebox Derby videos using #IceboxDerby and the video link, the public helped raise up to $70,000 in the ComEd “Spark Fund”.

Amandla Stenberg, Hollywood actress best known for her portrayals of Rue in The Hunger Games and young Cataleya in Colombiana, co-hosted the event. Attendees of Icebox Derby Race Day included ComEd executives and Icebox Derby team mentors, representatives from community partners and sponsors, local business and community leaders, STEM-focused graduate students at local universities, as well as participants’ family and friends and the general public.

You can relive the excitement of this year’s Icebox Derby and find out more about the program itself by visiting www.theiceboxderby.com. Followers can also track their journey on social media by searching #IceboxDerby.

About the Icebox Derby

The Icebox Derby is a four-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 Refrigerator and 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.

ComEd Media RelationsElizabeth Keating, (312) 394-3500www.comed.com/news

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