Girls to rebuild refrigerators into electric cars for race contest

Chicago, Illinois – Thirty-one aspiring female inventors will compete to build and race electric cars created from old refrigerators as part of a new initiative launched by utility company ComEd.

Dubbed the Icebox Derby, the program is co-sponsored by Girls4Science, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and the Chicago Urban League and is designed to educate and empower young women to explore opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

This six-week long Icebox Derby project will challenge six teams of girls, aged 13-18, to build electric race cars out of recycled refrigerators. The girls will rely on teamwork and ingenuity to complete the assignment, but will have the support of mentors from ComEd, its community partners, and STEM experts on hand to guide them.

This exciting educational competition provides a platform by which the girls will gain real world experience and understand some of the practical applications of the STEM subjects they learn in school.

“We are excited to launch this year’s inaugural Icebox Derby, which underscores our commitment to STEM education, and look forward to providing a creative platform for these young women to develop their skills, while showcasing their tenacity, ingenuity and talent,” says Anne Pramaggiore, president and CEO of ComEd. “As the local electric utility in Northern Illinois, we understand that it is our responsibility to help power the communities we serve, not just today, but in the future. In addition to our commitment to advancing the reliability and sustainability of the services we provide, we are invested in helping to cultivate the young people who will become the nation’s next generation of innovators.”

Each week, the teams will participate in a series of challenges that will put their STEM skills to the test as they build their Icebox Derby cars. Challenges will include chassis and transmission designs, installing electric motors, steering systems, aerodynamics (a particular challenge when dealing with former refrigerators), customization, racing trials, and the race itself.

Fans can follow each team’s progress as the race cars come together and show their support for individuals and teams along the way, at www.theiceboxderby.com.

The Icebox Derby also leverages ComEd’s fridge and freezer recycling program, aimed at driving energy efficiency. ComEd recently announced that it achieved a milestone of recycling its 200,000th unit through the program.

Source: ComEd