ASME DropMEin! Program is a collaboration with ComEd's Communities of the Future in Rockford, Illinois, and Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood
This week, ComEd and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) are excited to welcome over 100 elementary school students to its Chicago Training Center to conclude the fourth year of the ASME DropMEin! program: 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 2025 DropMEin! program, ComEd engineers and professionals have shared their STEM journeys and provided real-life, hands-on learning and open dialogue about power distribution, energy sustainability and STEM career paths. Students in this year's program have participated in a series of monthly in-classroom visits with ComEd engineers who have focused on teaching students about "problem-solving for good" and the impact STEM and engineering have on the world.
"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 Mark Baranek, ComEd's senior vice president of technical services. "Empowering the next generation of the local STEM workforce is crucial to create the future of energy, 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 began at the start of the spring semester partnering with three different schools—Bronzeville Classical Academy in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, and the STEAM Academy at Haskell Elementary and Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Rockford, Ill. 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 appreciates ComEd's support of our DropMEin! program and its generous contribution to our Campaign for Next Generation Engineers," said Stephanie Viola, executive director of the ASME Foundation and managing director of ASME Philanthropy and Programs. "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 bringing engineering to life through real-world stories of creative engineering solutions, related hands-on activities, and career exploration with STEM mentors. During the 2024/2025 school year, ASME has engaged with over 4,000 K-12 students through this program to help expand the STEM workforce of the future. 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.
With increased electrification, data and technology in our lives, STEM career opportunities will continue to grow throughout northern Illinois, providing family-sustaining careers for many developing professionals. The ASME DropMEin! program is one example of how ComEd is engaging with STEM-interested students to prepare them to serve as the next generation of leaders in the clean-energy transition. Additional STEM and scholarships programs include ComEd's STEM Labs, Construct Youth Academy, Tools of the Trade and Future of Energy Scholarships. These programs, like DropMEin!, all focus on giving students greater exposure to the possibilities of STEM.
For more information on ComEd STEM programs, visit: ComEd.com/STEM.
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ:EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company serving more than 10.7 million electricity and natural gas customers—the largest number of customers in the U.S. 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, and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
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) II & III LLC, a new for-profit subsidiary to house business ventures that will bring new and innovative products, services, and technologies to the engineering community. 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.
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