The Powering Lives Community Center is ComEd’s newest, state-of-the-art, STEM Education Center. Conveniently located for all of Chicagoland, learners of all ages can experience this brand new exhibit. Our Energy, Our Future is an interactive educational experience with easy-to-use displays and education programs that allow everyone to learn about the many elements of energy and the path to clean energy. This center also demonstrates the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in our workforce and the communities we serve, while focusing on our commitment to STEM and development of future energy professionals.
- How energy is generated and delivered
- The impact of Smart Grid technology
- Renewable energy sources including The Power of Solar
- Safety with electricity
- Communities of the future….and more!
- The lessons, discussions, and activities throughout this experience support a STEM-based curriculum by emphasizing key concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
- The ComEd Powering Lives Community Center experience is recommended for a single group of 7-50 students at any given time with a recommendation of 1 chaperone per every 8 students to ensure both safety and equal student participation opportunities
What are my options if my group size is outside the 7-50 student group limit? - The content of this experience is best suited for participants with established reading skills
- Multiple groups/classes that exceed 50 students in total are not allowed on-site at the same time with the exception of exchanging students on/off buses
- There are NO facilities for groups/classes to eat lunches on site
- The PLCC is a large facility. However, large groups are asked to divide into sub groups stagger their walking entrance to prevent bottlenecks (e.g. If the total group is 50 students, then Group A of 25 students enters while Group B of 25 students waits ~5 minutes on the bus and then enters)
- PARKING POLICY
Download PDF of PLCC Bus Parking Instructions- Please have your group’s bus drop students off at the PLCC front doors on California Ave
- Bus Drivers will need to be aware that they are not allowed to park on California Ave
- Upon unloading, please have the bus driver circle around the entire block, returning to California Ave to park the bus in an empty lot, notated on the map, for the duration of the event. Address to this parking lot: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TACQTi7Vik58okgh6?g_st=ac
- Please be sure the chaperones have the bus driver’s cell number before the bus departs to park
- Chaperones will need to call the bus driver upon field trip completion and inform them that they can proceed back to the front doors for pickup
- If you need to cancel or reschedule, please contact FieldTripFactory.Org at least 24 hours before your scheduled arrival – please do not attempt to contact the facility directly
- Scout Groups: Receive a patch for each scout participating in this event – please ask your Field Trip Leader
- Need special assistance with a large group or a short notice booking (less than 2 weeks) – please contact FieldTripFactory.Org directly to discuss options
- The Powering Lives Community Center is open 7 days a week 8a-8p (except major holidays)
Coming Soon…
ComEd – Powering Lives Community Center
Average Rating: 5
The ComEd Powering Lives Community Center – Chicago
Michael Collins Elementary School
05/13/2024
The 6th Graders from Michael Collins Elementary School had a very fun time at our field trip to ComEd. We really liked all of the interactive screens to learn about energy, which kept everybody involved in learning about our energy. We also loved the questions and then the giveaways of the headphones. We wish there could have been even more questions, so people that did not get to a station could learn about it. Another cool thing was that we got straws to help us lower our carbon footprints, and why this is so important. We wish that we could have learned more about how ComEd has grown and started. Also, we wanted to know more about why we need to stop using fossil fuels. Overall, everything was really fun and cool and everyone had fun at ComEd. All the kids loved the game aspect of the field trip and the tour guides did a really good job of keeping everybody engaged. They also had some funny jokes to make people feel like you can still ask them questions, not just listen to them and feel like the tour guides are above them. The field trip was super fun and everyone loved it. Even if they expected it to be boring, they realized it was a very fun experience. What a great field trip, thanks!
The ComEd Powering Lives Community Center – Chicago
Thornton Fractional North High Scool
03/21/2024
Everything was incredible! From the setting up of our trip, to the hospitality we received while on the tour. Loved that the space was our own for our assigned time- made it extremely sensory friendly for our group of students with disabilities. The space was interactive, informative and the activities varied throughout the space to help keep the students engaged. We will definitely be visiting the other location and returning in the future!
The ComEd Powering Lives Community Center – Chicago
Dunne Stem academy
02/20/2024
Our guide Sergio did an amazing job engaging my 7th graders. The facility was clean and made studetn supervision very easy. There are places to sit and interactive labs for every learner. The students especially enjoyed learning and being rewarded for their attentiveness. The wireless headphones put a smile on my students’ faces. Lastly, Sergio was able to answer their questions and really connected where we live to what we are learning.
