Opening Doors to STEM Education During Hispanic Heritage Month

On a beautiful Saturday morning in October, 30 local high school students skipped sleeping in and gathered at ComEd’s Chicago North office, located in the Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago, amped up for ComEd’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month STEM Labs event. Students were excited to spend their day building their own robots and learning about STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers with ComEd mentors.

The program successfully gathered like-minded peers to explore STEM together with participants representing 25 high schools throughout the Chicagoland area. Each group of students was also joined by a ComEd mentor to help answer any questions about the project or STEM in general. At the end of the one-day program, each student also received a $250 scholarship.

Throughout the day, students got to hear from ComEd executive, Louie Binswanger, SVP of Governmental, Regulatory and External Affairs, and a variety of Latino ComEd professionals who spent the day mentoring students. Working with their mentors, each student built their own small robot, and developed their coding skills to give the robot instructions on how to maneuver.

“We at ComEd are committed to providing opportunities that empower our young people to explore the world of STEM and imagine the future they can build through interactions with STEM mentors who share their background,” said Louie. “As a Latino coming up in the energy industry when there was very little representation, it was inspiring to see the high level of engagement and curiosity this diverse group of students showed and I look forward to what they’ll accomplish as our future leaders.”

Louie Binswanger getting the event started by sharing his STEM journey with the students.

Building Connections and STEM Experience

Charlize navigating her robot during the STEM Labs event.

Charlize R., a freshman at Nobel Street College Prep, shared that besides building her own robot, she was most excited to engage with the other participants in the program. None of the other students at her table attended her school, and she enjoyed getting to know and collaborate with students she wouldn’t have naturally met. The coolest part: she was able to both learn from her peers at her table and help them with their builds.

“I am most drawn to science—I find enjoyment in it, and those classes are generally easier for me, so this program was a little different. This was my first time coding, but I would definitely code again,” said Charlize. “The ComEd mentors were so helpful. I felt really supported, and welcomed in this program, and it was great hearing about the mentors’ experience in STEM too.”

For some students in this program, this was their first experience with coding. Others had dabbled with coding in school, but everyone agreed that being knowledgeable in coding is important for the future.

“Technology is such an important part of life, so I’m really glad we worked on coding today. I’ve coded before in school, but I’ve never built a robot,” said Arwah Z., a sophomore at Steinmetz College Prep. “It was fun to see everything come together and know that I made this! I love exploring my way through these types of challenges.”

Arwah building her robot.

ComEd’s Continued Commitment to STEM

Alejandro helping a student learn how to code her robot during the STEM Labs event.

The team supporting students during the program was made up of ComEd employees who cover a wide range of STEM careers at ComEd. Alejandro S., Manager of Support Services at ComEd, was always fascinated with building items and learning how they worked when he was growing up, and he ultimately took his skills in mathematics and built a career out of it.

“For me, it’s important to give back to the community and help our younger generation progress,” said Alejandro. “The youth are our future, and programs like STEM Labs are important in helping teenagers learn the importance of STEM and see what a STEM career can look like. Watching their looks of accomplishment when their robots were built and working properly was priceless. Their dedication to the program and success in using their phones to code was absolutely priceless.”

Gabriel N., a Senior Business Program Manager on the Beneficial Electrification team at ComEd, shared that his favorite part of the day was seeing the students engaged and focused over the course of the project.

Gabriel reviewing the robot instructions with a student during the STEM Labs event.

“This is my second time mentoring at one of these events, and it’s easy to keep coming back. I look forward to listening to the students’ motivations and goals. I try to inspire their curiosity, learning, positive thinking and innovation. I want to support their aspirations and decisions, and I want to help strengthen the connections between ComEd and the communities we serve,” said Gabriel N.

This STEM Labs event is just one example of ComEd’s commitment to developing the next generation of STEM leaders, with a focus on ensuring access and opportunity for underrepresented communities. Latino Americans make up 17% of the U.S. workforce, but only 8% of U.S. STEM workers. Studies show that despite being as interested in STEM as other ethnic groups, Latino students are less likely to take STEM courses in high school, which decreases the likelihood they will pursue opportunities that lead to careers in STEM, according to Pew Research.

Programs like STEM Labs help foster a diverse STEM future by showcasing the variety of paths students can take in their STEM education. The company looks forward to cheering on students as they pursue their studies, and to see the impact these future STEM leaders will make on the industry.

Students, parents and educators who are interested in learning about other ComEd STEM programs can visit ComEd.com/STEM.