Adler Planetarium Announces $1 Million Gift for STEAM Youth Engagement Programs from S&C Electric Company Fund

Header Image: Adler teens gathered in the Planetarium’s Other Worlds exhibition

Chicago’s Adler Planetarium is thrilled to announce ongoing support for its youth engagement programs with a $1 million gift from the S&C Electric Company Fund. An electric grid innovator and long-time resident of the Rogers Park neighborhood, S&C has played a pivotal role in the Adler’s youth engagement programs, serving as a steadfast ally in fostering youth involvement in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) disciplines since its inaugural contribution in 2009.

“The Adler and S&C share a very important goal: to make science accessible and inclusive for Chicago’s youth” said the Adler’s interim President and CEO, Audris Wong. “This gift will help us directly engage young people in exploring the universe, where they’ll make discoveries and solve problems together.”

S&C’s support has enabled the expansion of the Adler’s youth engagement initiatives from a solitary student cohort with a single school partner to a major presence within Chicago’s STEAM youth engagement landscape. Through immersive hands-on experiences in authentic research, engineering projects, leadership development, and career exposure, the Adler’s programs have empowered thousands of young minds across Chicago, nurturing their passion for STEAM and equipping them with essential skills for diverse and rewarding careers.

S&C’s contribution helps expand opportunities for the Adler’s STEAM youth engagement programs:

SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

The Adler’s summer internships place Chicago teens in professional roles across the museum, learning professional skills in communication and teamwork, as well as gaining experience in space visualization and computer science. Interns work as paid employees in placements with managers across the departments.

FAR HORIZONS TEENS

Far Horizons Teens is a semester-long program through which Chicago high school students carry out cutting-edge research into light pollution and its effects. Participants design and build specialized research equipment, launching these experiments via high-altitude balloons and sharing findings through conference presentations and journal articleswith experts worldwide. This research experience goes hand-in-hand with the cultivation of vital STEAM skills, including coding (in Python and C++), electronics, and physics. Adler teens serve in the roles of designer, researcher, engineer, and leader in each project, gaining
invaluable skills and authentic experience in tackling real-world problems.

YOUTH ORGANIZATION FOR LIGHTS OUT [YOLO]

In the Adler’s YOLO program, hands-on STEAM learning and environmental justice collide. Participants learn about light pollution—its impact on human health and its effects on our environment—and engage with their local communities, alderpeople, and other local decision-makers through science and advocacy.

“The S&C Electric Company Fund is deeply committed to providing Chicago’s youth with the access and educational opportunities needed to succeed in STEAM careers,” said Anders Sjoelin, S&C president and CEO. “In that spirit, we are proud to support the Adler Planetarium in inspiring future generations of STEAM leaders and illuminating the opportunities these disciplines offer, both in their classrooms and communities. The students we engage today will be essential in helping transform the electrical grid for a better and brighter tomorrow.”

To learn more about all of the STEAM youth engagement opportunities for teens at the Adler, visit: https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/learn/teens/teen-opportunities/

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