Public high school seniors who actively participated in an innovative afterschool program created by Exelon, ComEd and United Way of Metropolitan Chicago achieved a graduation rate of 97 percent for the 2014-15 academic year, far exceeding CPS averages and marking the eighth year in a row it exceeded 90 percent. This was one of many program successes reported as the Stay in School Initiative presented its “report card” for the last school year and kicked off its tenth anniversary year at The Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier on Saturday, Sept. 19. Some 75 current students and alumni of the program gathered to celebrate a decade of progress in keeping youth on the path to high school graduation and academic achievement. Speakers, including CBS-2 Chicago Traffic Reporter Derrick Young, addressed students, urging them to stay in school and graduate. Exelon and ComEd employee volunteers provide one-on-one mentoring to students during the school year. The companies also run a series of job skills development workshops that provide paid summer internships to 12 or more students at Exelon, ComEd, United Way and the after school agencies.