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ComEd employed and educated 70 local high school students as part of its Youth Ambassador Program this summer, providing them with valuable experience and a head-start on navigating the tough economy. In Chicago, local students face a daunting teen unemployment rate of more than 25% and, in Illinois, the African-American teen unemployment rate approaches 90%.

During the eight-week program, students learned from industry experts on how to save energy, conserve resources and the benefits of smart grid technology, which ComEd will deploy over the next 10 years. The Ambassadors used their knowledge to educate consumers at community events throughout the summer. ComEd has hired 15 of the Youth Ambassadors for year-long, part time positions focused on customer education.

The ambassadors reflected the diversity of the communities served by ComEd, which partnered with numerous community groups to create the program, including the Chicago Urban League, Faith in Place, Chinese American Service League, UNO Charter School Network and Youth Guidance. The program is part of ComEd’s effort to educate customers about smart meters and how the new technology will help them better manage and control their energy consumption and costs.