Youth from across Chicago recently learned to design and build their own energy efficient homes at the Gary Comer Youth Center. Powered by Exelon and the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project and guided by 30 Exelon employees volunteering in the Stay in School (SIS) mentorship program, 75 high school students used insulation, windows, caulking and weather-stripping to apply sustainable standards to miniature homes they built themselves. “These students are working to master 21st century skills that they can apply in their real lives,” said Justine Jentes, an SIS mentor and Exelon employee. “These students are grasping the importance of energy conservation, and at Exelon, our commitment to sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.” Students learned about the environmental and economic importance of energy efficiency practices with their mentors and left with materials to share with their families on how to increase efficiency in their own homes. Since the program’s inception, SIS has helped 27,000 students graduate from high school in neighborhoods where dropout rates have been among the highest in Chicago. Students come from neighborhoods across Chicago including Austin, Humboldt Park/West Town, Bridgeport, Cicero, North Lawndale, Grand Crossing and Evanston. SIS is a collaboration between United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, six social service agencies, several Chicago Public Schools, ComEd and Exelon and the power companies’ employees.

Photo Caption: Students participating in the Stay in School mentorship program learn to build energy efficient model homes with their Exelon mentors at Gary Comer Youth Center. Photo Credit: Exelon