​Washington, D.C. (October 17, 2018) - Pepco has marked the grand opening of its "YOUtility Challenge" storefront at JA Finance Park® in Montgomery County, Maryland. JA Finance Park®, located in the Thomas Edison High School of Technology, is expected to host approximately 12,000 students from 40 different middle schools each year and will provide an innovative and interactive environment for students to learn personal finance literacy skills and the economics of life for the 21^st century. 

"The opening of our new YOUtility Challenge Storefront allows Pepco to equip and empower our next generation of customers with practical, fun, and economical energy education," said Mellanie Kai Lassiter, senior manager of Corporate Relations, Pepco Holdings. "At Pepco, investment in education is one of our top priorities. By investing in students and offering them fun and challenging avenues to learn, we are in turn investing in our future success. This effort is part of our ongoing promise of powering a cleaner and brighter future for our customers and communities."                    

Pepco collaborated with Washington Gas to create the "YOUtility Challenge" storefront, which teaches students how to properly budget energy costs using real-life scenarios in a full-day curriculum. "YOUtility" showcases an interactive 3D simulated home with visibility into how energy functions to power critical appliances in multiple rooms. A touchscreen video game also lets students gauge their knowledge of the many ways houses use energy and presents helpful tips and techniques about energy efficiency and lowering energy costs.

The new state-of-the-art facility features multiple educational storefronts and kiosks where students can engage with experts and educational tools to gain an understanding of managing money effectively and efficiently, including through use of digital technology, in a variety of everyday scenarios.

The "YOUtility Challenge" sponsored by Pepco and Washington Gas also is available at the JA Finance Park® in Prince George's County, which was introduced in the fall of 2015 in Landover and serves approximately 9,000 students annually.

"JA Finance Park® offers future generations of Montgomery County leaders what it takes to own their economic success, plan a career path and make smart academic decisions," said Ed Grenier, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of Greater Washington. "We are excited to open our second location in the state of Maryland and appreciate loyal energy partners such as Pepco and Washington Gas for their continued time and resources. We share a commitment to inspire today's talented youth to overcome the challenges of managing their own finances and to help them value our training for a lifetime."

Junior Achievement, the world's largest organization dedicated to educating students from kindergarten to 12^th grade about the fundamentals of finance, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, has reached more than 8 million students in 100 countries worldwide, and the group's greater Washington area presence in 17 counties includes the District of Columbia.

There are 21 Finance Park® facilities in the nation. Throughout the Washington D.C. region, more than 120,000 students have graduated from the Finance Park® program, with more than 2.5 million instructional hours dedicated to the cause, and 165 schools representing 10 school systems. To learn more, visit www.myJA.org.

To learn more, readers are encouraged to visit The Source, Pepco's online news room. Find additional information about Pepco by visiting pepco.com. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/pepcoconnect and on Twitter at twitter.com/pepcoconnect. Our mobile app is available at pepco.com/mobileapp.

###

About Pepco: Pepco, a public utility owned by Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), provides safe and reliable energy to more than 842,000 electric delivery customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia.