Exelon Summer Institute at IIT Jumpstarts College Careers in Technology

Exelon Corporation recently provided a grant to endow the Exelon Summer Institute at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) to help incoming students prepare for their college experience and the university’s rigorous curriculum. The Institute, now in its second year, works with students from communities, primarily in Illinois, and this month welcomed 35 students starting their first year of college at IIT this fall.

“Exelon supports programs that help prepare tomorrow’s science and technology leaders as they take their first steps in higher education as well as programs that encourage diversity in the fields of engineering, math and science,” said Exelon Chairman and CEO John Rowe. “With more than 300 Exelon employees and retirees being IIT alumni, we value our partnership with IIT and our shared focus on math and science education.”

Noting that the Summer Institute is already proving to be effective, with 29 of 30 students in its inaugural class completing their first year of college and three making the Dean’s List, IIT Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs Mike Gosz says, “Exelon’s generous gift insures the Summer Institute will provide incoming students with increased support and preparation for years to come. The program improves the students’ college experience, smoothes the transition from high school to college, and provides students with the ability and motivation to be independent , lifelong learners."

Led by IIT faculty mentors and advanced undergraduate students, the intensive month-long Institute focuses on achieving college readiness in math, chemistry and physics, while helping participants hone their study strategies and time management and communication skills. Through workshops and group learning activities, students gain aptitude in a variety of subjects and are given the opportunity to explore their intended academic majors.

“Having a head start helped me learn enough about science, engineering and life to determine what I am really after at college,” says biomedical engineering student and 2008 Exelon Summer Institute participant Jenny Beverage, who found the program immensely helpful and said it allowed her to examine her long-term goals in context. “It gave me time to think about things in a structured environment.”

Students are given the opportunity to live on-campus and participate in extracurricular activities, including science-focused field trips, games and recreation that foster a support system of friends and faculty crucial to their continued academic success.

“I didn't have to worry about feeling lost,” said Trevor A. Townsend, a 2008 Institute participant majoring in aerospace engineering. “The hardest thing for some is finding help when they're too shy. I learned how to communicate with professors, and with members of my study groups.”

Trevor and other Exelon Summer Institute alumni are serving as ambassadors and mentors for this year’s class. The Institute will continue to work with participating students throughout the academic year, providing additional academic and emotional support and offering events designed to maintain the relationships and learning circles formed over the summer.

Exelon employees, recognized for their efforts in community outreach and volunteerism, will donate their time to the Summer Institute, interacting with students throughout the summer and during the following school year. These interactions will include mentorship, career discussions and opportunities for job-shadowing, affording unique social and professional networks.

Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting university with more than 7,300 students in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business and law. IIT's interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum is designed to advance knowledge through research and scholarship, to cultivate invention improving the human condition, and to prepare students from throughout the world for a life of professional achievement, service to society, and individual fulfillment. Visit www.iit.edu.