CHICAGO, IL, Feb 10, 2023 – The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and ComEd are proud to empower the next generation of engineers by launching the second year of DropMEin!: a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiative that brings engineers and other STEM professionals into elementary and middle school classrooms to enhance curriculum and inspire the future STEM workforce in Illinois.
During the 2023 DropMEin! program, ComEd engineers and professionals will share their STEM journeys and provide real-life, hands-on learning and open dialogue about power distribution, energy sustainability and STEM career paths.
“The ASME and ComEd DropMEin! program is an ideal way to reach out to younger students and spark their interest in STEM before they reach high school,” said Michelle Blaise, ComEd’s senior vice president of technical services and a member of ASME Foundation campaign cabinet. “As we work toward a clean energy future, empowering the next generation of the local STEM workforce is crucial, and that starts with providing them the opportunity to learn about, and be inspired by, the many career opportunities in STEM.”
This year’s program runs through the spring semester with virtual and in-person sessions and related hands-on activities planned in fifth and sixth grade science classes at Bronzeville Classical Elementary School in Chicago, IL, and Haskell STEAM Academy and Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Rockford, IL.
“At Thurgood Marshall Middle School, we prioritize student engagement,” said Jessica Powell, principal at Thurgood Marshall Middle School. “The program that ASME and ComEd have developed provides authentic opportunities for our students to engage in new STEM content and receive hands-on experiences from local STEM professionals.”
All three schools are part of ComEd’s Community of the Future initiative, which creates partnerships that tap into community strengths to enhance sustainability, resiliency, and connectedness. In collaboration with ASME and its member volunteers, ComEd has enlisted its staff engineers, project managers, data scientists and cyber security experts to share their expertise and professional experiences with students.
“ASME is very appreciative of ComEd’s support of our DropMEin! program and its generous contribution to our Campaign for Next Generation Engineers,” said Tom Costabile, executive director/ CEO of ASME. “Together, we are working to inspire more kids to explore STEM and pursue STEM careers including engineering that improves lives.”
The ASME DropMEin! program has a national reach with a focus on engaging with students in Arizona, California, Delaware, Illinois, Nevada, New York, and Texas this year. During the 2022/2023 school year, ASME will engage with over 4,000 students through this program to help diversify the future of STEM. Eighty-four percent of the schools impacted by this program qualify for Title 1 federal funding, with children from low-income families making up at least 40 percent of enrollment.
About ComEd
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corp., a Fortune 200 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the US ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population.
For more information, visit ComEd.com.
About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education, and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. In 2020, ASME formed the International Society of Interdisciplinary Engineers (ISIE) LLC, a new for-profit subsidiary to house business ventures that will bring new and innovative products, services, and technologies to the engineering community, and later established the holding company, Global Knowledge Solutions LLC. In 2021, ASME launched a second for-profit subsidiary, Metrix Connect LLC, an industry events and content platform to accelerate digital transformation in the engineering community and an agent for the Mechanical Engineering brand of media products.
For more information, visit www.asme.org.
About the ASME Foundation
The ASME Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, supporting an array of programs in three core pillars: engineering education, career engagement, and global development. With the goal of empowering tomorrow’s technical workforce, the ASME Foundation advances equitable access both to professional opportunities and to engineering innovations that improve quality of life.
For more information, visit www.asmefoundation.org.