To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and help address the underrepresentation of Latinos in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, ComEd hosted a STEM Labs event in which Latino high school students built their own robots, worked alongside ComEd engineers and explored STEM careers. Fifty Latino high school students from across northern Illinois participated in the STEM Labs program on Saturday at ComEd’s Chicago North facility. They worked in teams with ComEd mentors to build, code and test drive small robots under the guidance of special guest, Dr. Kate Biberdorf, a renowned author, chemist and science educator. In addition to networking with ComEd mentors and executives throughout the day, each student received a $250 scholarship upon completing the program. Latino Americans make up 17 percent of the U.S. workforce, but only eight percent of the STEM workers. Studies show that despite being as interested in STEM as other ethnic groups, Latino students are less likely to take STEM courses in high school, which decreases the likelihood they will pursue opportunities that lead to careers in STEM, according to the Student Research Foundation. Students, parents and educators interested in being notified about upcoming ComEd STEM youth programs and when to apply can submit their email address at: STEMsignUp.com/ComEd.