Power of STEM
The Power of STEM Program provides single session STEM programming for elementary through middle school students. Each session is themed to STEM topics within the energy industry, including energy efficiency, climate change, solar power, and microgrid design. Students work with a NEED facilitator and ComEd employee mentors to explore hands-on activities, while learning about real steps being taken by ComEd to create a reliable grid for its customers. This program is focused on supporting students in high-need areas with connections in schools/programs in the Chicagoland and Rockford areas. This includes Boys and Girls Clubs, Girls for Science, and Northern Illinois University. Many organizations that request a Power of STEM presentation sign up for all full series of. The program continues to expand with activities for younger future STEM professionals and increasing topics to meet an increasingly innovative world of energy.
ComEd Create a Spark
The ComEd Create a Spark Program, in partnership with The NEED Project, supports 9th – 12th grade Illinois students through engaging project-based and career-focused STEM activities. These projects are mentored by experienced engineering professionals, who help bridge the gap between STEM activity and STEM careers. The program empowers students to explore energy, electricity, distribution/transmission, and the technology that helps to build a resilient grid. Over the four years, participants explore clean energy options from ComEd’s generation portfolio, including nuclear, wind, and solar as well as the impacts of electricity usage on the environment. With a proven training model, ComEd mentors are set up for success with background knowledge and engagement to create an educational experience!
- Freshman Program: The World of Energy! Explore different forms of energy through experiments, including a mini EV race, to gain an understanding of electrical generation and distribution.
- Sophomore Program: Powering lives! Learn how ComEd keeps communities connected and what is needed to maintain reliable delivery through designing a fully operational microgrid model.
- Junior Program: Climate Impacts! Explore the variables that cause and exacerbate climate change on Earth through hands-on carbon experiments and discussing the connections between these variables while learning about ComEd’s commitment to the environment.
- Senior Program: Energy Efficient Home! Prepare for the future as citizens of the world and professional consumers of electricity by designing and building an energy efficient model home, understanding what is being paid for in your ComEd bill, and learning how ComEd supports energy efficiency.
Program application link – https://needorg.my.salesforce-sites.com/event/home/casapplication
ComEd Scholars Mentor Program
This college-aged program brings future STEM professionals together with ComEd mentors. As the mentors and mentees network and learn from one another, they bond and network over a “cup of science” instead of just another “cup of coffee.” Working with their mentors, mentees take on unique STEM challenges that allow them to apply their technical training in a creative way. These STEM activities are themed around topics within the energy industry, and are meant to be explored simultaneously by mentor and mentee. In their pairings, mentors/mentees explore professional skills like developing professional goals, networking, and interviews. Through discussion questions, speakers, roleplay, and a built-in mentor connection these participants help forge a career path into the world of electricity. The final project for this program ranges from participants expanding on a topic within the program or sharing their own personal projects.
CONSTRUCT Infrastructure Academy
The Construction and Skilled Trade (CAST) Assessment has become a common licensing test for new hires moving into skilled trades roles within the electrical industry. The CAST test covers a variety of math skills ranging from arithmetic to applied algebra and geometry, themed physics concepts, and reading comprehension connected to energy industry topics. This includes four assessment sections: Mathematical Usage, Graphic Arithmetic, Mechanical Concepts, and Reading Comprehension. There has been an increased need for support on this particular test, and NEED has worked with ComEd’s CONSTRUCT Infrastructure Academy to help develop curriculum, trainings, practice, and assessments. CONSTRUCT Infrastructure Academy partners with adult education programs in the Chicagoland area to help employ adults of all ages and career paths. Beyond NEED’s curriculum, ComEd provides a variety of other on-site trainings for topics ranging from NCCER, OSHA, and ComEd-specific trade skills.
CAST Test Workshop with CONSTRUCT Youth Academy
ComEd’s CONSTRUCT Youth Academy presents trade skills and career path opportunities to young adults pursuing a future in the skilled trades industry. As part of their offerings, these high schoolers are introduced to a one-day CAST Test workshop. They are introduced to the test as a whole, highlighting the required skills that they will be held accountable for on the test. Participants engage with some of the topics through activities and games. Simple machines are heavily covered on the CAST Test’s Mechanical Concepts section, so participants explore simple machines through hands-on activities. They also compete in a game to practice the Mathematical Usage skill of dimensional analysis, converting between units in teams as quickly as possible. Based on a pre-test, all participants are provided with specific feedback and additional practice options.
Storms & Restoration with Chicago Builds
Inclement weather can have a major impact on electrical infrastructure. Power outages can lead to major inconvenience for customers and create dangerous situations. To help restore power to their territory, all ComEd employees have a Storm Duty role. After learning about these roles from ComEd’s mentors, high school participants from the Chicago Builds program took on these roles. Before the storm, participants research emergency equipment, analyze maps and weather data, and read authentic ComEd documents and communications. During the storm, teams work to prioritize incident tickets from customers reporting power outages and downed lines. After the storm, teams use the knowledge that they gained before the storm to solve escape room-style puzzles in the order that they were prioritized. The teams that can most efficiently and effectively restore power to ComEd’s grid wins!
ComEd Future of Energy Scholarship
ComEd launched its Future of Energy program and our team at The NEED Project is proud to partner with ComEd and Exelon to expand education and workforce development opportunities and to support the next generation of innovators. The Future of Energy Scholarship provides young adults with up to $10,000 in a scholarship designed to be used towards college tuition and related expenses. The top three to four applicants will also receive an internship offer, pending successful completion of the hiring process. Future of Energy Scholarship recipients may apply for renewal annually. To be eligible for a scholarship, students must be accepted into an eligible degree program, have a minimum 2.8 GPA, and submit an application. Individuals with family working for ComEd are not eligible for this scholarship.
For more information and to apply for the ComEd Future of Energy Scholarship, visit: www.comed.com/FutureOfEnergy.
For more information on ComEd’s STEM scholarship opportunities, contact WorkforceDevelopment@ComEd.com
Aris Off-Grid Lighting Program
As part of the Community of the Future Initiative, ComEd partnered with Aris Renewable Energy, Chicago Housing Authority, and Chicago Public Schools to install off-grid, remote powered lighting units in the Bronzeville Community to provide safety in underlit/underserved areas, and to educate the community on renewable generation, energy storage, and grid resiliency. These off-grid, hybrid LED street lights, or RPUs, consist of five key components: a steel pole, an LED lamp, a wind turbine, a solar panel, and an energy storage unit. These off-grid installations provide wonderful teaching opportunities to educate students. NEED is proud to partner with ComEd to provide the curriculum materials for this “powerful” program!