For Immediate Release, September 2005 by Brenda Buschbacher

AURORA—ComEd, an Exelon Company, has awarded a $35,000 grant to the IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education to support the work of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy®. The grant will be used to increase enrichment learning and professional development opportunities for students and teachers in Illinois through IMSA's Excellence 2000+ program (E2K+).

Students from Forest Trail Middle School in Park Forest participate in IMSA's after school Excellence 2000+ Program

The ComEd grant will specifically be used to support and enhance E2K+ programs at the Lincoln Middle School in Berwyn, the Forest Trail Middle School in Park Forest and the Spring Wood Middle School in Hanover Park.

"We are so excited about this grant," said Dr. Susan Bisinger, project director of the E2K+ program. "The schools that these funds are helping are so deserving and work with children that are underrepresented. Our thanks go out to this great organization."

Steve Solomon, ComEd's Senior Manager of Corporate Citizenship, agreed. "This is just one more way for us to emphasize to young people the need to stay in school and to realize the power of an education."

In addition to the company's contribution, ComEd Senior Vice-President of Technical Services Preston Swafford, a member of the IMSA Fund board of directors, personally donated $5000 to the IMSA Fund's annual giving campaign.

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Excelon Corporation one of the nation's largest electric utilities with more than $14 billion in revenues and a customer base of five million. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.7 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.

IMSA Excellence 2000+ (E2K+) is an after-school enrichment program for Illinois middle school students who are talented, interested and motivated in mathematics and science. The program places a special emphasis on students historically under-represented and underserved in mathematics and science. Ongoing professional development for the participating Illinois teachers is provided. E2K+ focuses on helping students "learn how to learn" and emphasize logic, mathematical thinking and experimental scientific thinking. Topics relate to the students' lives, arouse their curiosity and increase their motivation to learn in mathematics and science.

The IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized for the benefit of, to perform the functions of, or to carry out certain charitable, educational, literary and scientific purposes of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. The IMSA Fund solicits, receives, invests and administers gifts, grants and other contributions from the private sector (corporations, foundations, individuals and other organizations) to support IMSA's mission and work.

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® is an internationally-recognized pioneering educational institution created by the State of Illinois to develop talent and leadership in mathematics, science and technology. IMSA's advanced residential college preparatory program enrolls 650 academically talented Illinois students in grades 10-12. Nearly 18,000 teachers and 34,000 students in Illinois and beyond have benefited from The Center@IMSA program of professional development and student enrichment. Located in Aurora in the high-tech corridor west of Chicago, IMSA® serves the people of Illinois through innovative instructional programs, public and private partnerships, policy counsel, action research, and the leadership and achievements of its graduates.