Chicago-Area Teens Explore Unexpected STEM Careers in the Music Industry

Published: February 16, 2015

CHICAGO (Feb. 16, 2015) – In honor of Black History Month, ComEd is partnering with The Remix Project Chicago to launch its “Power of Possibilities” campaign. This campaign will help Chicago-area youth discover how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) can unlock the possibilities of achieving a career in any industry.

Jobs in STEM fields are on the rise, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau African-Americans are historically underrepresented in the STEM field, making up about six percent of STEM jobs in the United States.

“As an innovative company that values diversity, ComEd has a tremendous opportunity, and a responsibility, to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Kevin Brookins, senior vice president of Strategy and Administration at ComEd. “We are exposing youth to these critical areas of study to help them realize how they can lead to a career in any area.”

As part of the campaign, ComEd and The Remix Project Chicago hosted a one day boot camp exposing youth to professionals working in unexpected areas of the music industry. Thirty Chicago-area juniors and seniors from YMEN (Young Men's Educational Network), Leo High School and the Remix Project Chicago participated in breakout sessions led by celebrity musical guests, including Keshia Chante, DJ Niena Drake, KY Engineerin, and John Monopoly.

“We are excited to partner with ComEd to continue building career opportunities for Chicago’s young and talented leaders,” said Derek “Drex” Jancar, Co-Founder and CFO of The Remix Project. “Local partnerships and support such as this have made it possible for Remix Chicago to expand our services and launch the first semester of Recording Arts programming later this month.”

The “Power of Possibilities” campaign will also include a series of radio, billboard, print and digital advertisements, featuring students from YMEN and Leo High School.

ComEd invites the general public to discover the possibilities STEM creates in the music industry by visiting ComEd.com/Possibilities to watch videos capturing the science behind carving out a career in music, the opportunities evolving technology has opened up, the importance of engineering in creating a song, and how math is used to plan and manage success.

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Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 7.8 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.

Keywords: black history, ComEd, Power of Possibilities, STEM, The Remix Project Chicago