Grant program has provided more than $4.5 million to date for STEM education and research programs reaching 225,000 students nationwide

Constellation, a leading energy and energy solutions provider, announced today it is now accepting applications for its 2021 E² Energy to Educate grant program, which provides funding for student projects focusing on energy innovation. Educators and students in grades 6-12 can apply for program grants up to $25,000, and two- and four-year colleges can apply for grants up to $50,000. The deadline for applications is Oct. 1, 2021.

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Constellation's 2021 Energy to Educate program includes an added focus on inspiring equity in the energy industry. (Photo: Business Wire)

This year, Constellation has refreshed its E² innovation themes (see below) to emphasize inspiring equity in the energy industry.

“We continually evolve and fine-tune our innovation themes with an eye on maintaining our core focus of hands-on STEM energy projects while committing to address elements that will shape the future of energy,” said Jorge Acevedo, senior vice president, Innovation and Strategy for Constellation. “While our focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is not new, this past year has shone a brighter light on socioeconomic and educational disparities, and to that end, we are specifically challenging our applicants to consider ways to extend their project opportunities to underserved groups, including communities of color.”

In 2020, Energy to Educate awarded more than $500,000 across 22 projects and reached more than 20,000 students nationwide. Projects included solar car competitions, fuel cell technology, energy storage, wind power, and teaching energy concepts via an interactive gaming platform. To date, the grant program has provided $4.5 million for research and education projects that have fueled the exploration into STEM fields for more than 225,000 students.

“In addition to being a creative way to engage students, our Virtual STEM Day also motivates, encourages and inspires young people to make a positive impact on our planet as future STEM leaders,” said Dr. Jamal Uddin, professor and director of the Center for Nanotechnology at Coppin State University in Maryland. “As an HBCU, we are proud of our legacy of serving diverse students, and through Constellation’s E² award, we have been able to further extend outreach and programming for STEM and energy projects to more students from diverse backgrounds.”

To be eligible for funding, a project must align with the following energy innovation themes. Project content must also be delivered virtually or through safe in-person settings:

• Equity in Energy: How can we engage underrepresented groups in the energy sector? How can we create pathways to STEM and energy careers for students of color, women, and other underrepresented groups? How can we best engage underrepresented customers? With intentionality, we can increase diverse perspectives and representation in energy careers and reach underserved communities with energy innovations.
• Sustainability as a Lifestyle: How will new technologies and artificial intelligence transform our home energy usage in the future? What will the future of transportation look like? How can our daily choices in transportation and in our home create a more sustainable future? New technologies can power us into a cleaner energy future via electrification and sustainable choices.
• Clean Energy & Zero Waste: Which energy sources and choices have the greatest current and future potential to mitigate against climate change? What if we could harness and store energy that would otherwise be wasted? How can businesses, schools, governments, and communities take action through policies and programs to move us toward a cleaner energy future? The sustainability movement is catching on in energy thanks to innovative technologies and growing advocacy.

Exelon companies, together with Constellation, contributed more than $58 million to nonprofits in 2020 supporting COVID relief efforts plus education, the environment, culture and arts, and community development.

Grant recipients are announced each year during American Education Week. To learn more about the program and application criteria, visit the Community Outreach section of www.constellation.com.

About Constellation

Constellation is a leading competitive retail supplier of power, natural gas and energy products and services for homes and businesses across the continental United States. Constellation's family of retail businesses serves approximately 2 million residential, public sector and business customers, including more than three-fourths of the Fortune 100. Baltimore-based Constellation is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2020 revenues of approximately $33 billion, and more than 30,000 megawatts of owned capacity comprising one of the nation’s cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. Learn more at www.constellation.com or on Twitter at @ConstellationEG.

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