The technological age is expanding continuously. Each day new ways are being developed to make our lives easier. In this age of technology, young women are being embraced. Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) has staked a claim in this notion by sponsoring their third annual Ice Derby Challenge. This challenge gathers young women from across the Chicago area to form teams to develop a car from an old refrigerator. STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects serve as the basis for this development. Anne Pramaggiore, the CEO of ComEd, is deliberate in her motivation as she clearly explains that they are building a workforce for their future while empowering these young women with information and marketable skill.
The Icebox Derby is a competition that spans over a few weeks where the teams work tirelessly to develop their project. At the end of development, a race is held to decide who the Icebox Derby champion will be. This year the prototype is different because they have included solar panels.
We spoke with Chequita Grant, whose Flaming Zing team won the competition last year. We asked this 19-year-old why it was important for young girls to get involved with STEM. “I think it’s important because I didn’t know what I wanted to do when it came to a career. I didn’t know about engineering until my junior year in high school. It’s good that they learn at a young age. Some of these girls are 13 and 14 years old. It’s really hard, but they should never give up. All of the hard work will be worth it,” she said.
Take a look at a few pics below.
