Illinois Utility Invites Young Women to Participate in EV Rally

CHICAGO — Commonwealth Edison Company, the electric service provider to more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, is holding an “EV rally” this summer to encourage young women to choose future careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

The utility, also known as ComEd, has a long tradition of hosting such programs, a tradition placed on a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s event, the ComEd EV rally, is open to any young woman who is an Illinois resident between the ages of 13 and 18.

Selected from among the applications, 30 young women will work with ComEd women engineers to build high-tech race cars that they’ll actually race in Chicago on Saturday, Aug. 6.

Every participant will receive a $2,000 scholarship for completing the program.

A recent study by the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition found that while women make up 50% of the state’s workforce, only 27% hold jobs in STEM-related fields.

“This program gives the next generation of STEM leaders a head start and a chance to get hands-on with electric vehicles, which are an important part of our clean energy future and can help reduce air pollution in our communities as we address the climate crisis,” said Gil Quiniones, CEO of ComEd, in a written statement. 

“Through the EV Rally, these young women will work alongside women leaders at ComEd who have built their own STEM careers and want to inspire the next generation of women in STEM,” he added.

The EV Rally is an evolution of the utility’s ComEd Icebox Derby, which it launched in 2014 to educate and empower young women to explore careers in STEM and become the innovative workforce of the future.

Applications are available now at ComEdEVRally.com. The application period will close on Monday, June 6.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue