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