Message from the Board

Richard M. Rosenblum

Dear Friends:

This fall, Edison International and USC College will launch a bold new partnership to enhance math and science instruction in our schools.  My colleagues and I are proud to commit $1 million to the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies to establish the Edison Challenge—representing the single largest education grant ever awarded by Edison.

Student-teacher teams from local middle and high schools will compete in the Edison Challenge by creating lesson plans related to the ocean, energy and environmental sciences. Participating teachers will take part in workshops to enhance science teaching in their classrooms. The teams will also develop community service projects based on their plans.

Learning by doing is probably the most enduring form of learning.  It builds knowledge, confidence and a sense of accomplishment in students.  

Some of my earliest memories are of the countless watches I took apart and tried to reassemble. As a kid I was always fascinated by how things work. This interest has stayed with me to this day. As a result I became a nuclear physicist and a nuclear engineer. I believe that the Edison Challenge can similarly spark the curiosity and imagination of our K-12 students.

We also want to prepare our children for the tough decisions associated with global warming and many other environmental issues they will face in their lifetime. The Edison Challenge will encourage students and teachers to think about how society and our environment interact. We’re not just nurturing future scientists, but equipping better-informed citizens.

In thinking about the Tradition & Innovation Initiative, it occurred to me that Edison International and USC College share a tradition of innovation.

At Edison we’re proud of our 110-year history in Southern California. It’s a history of building hydroelectric plants up in the Sierras to power a growing economy in Los Angeles.  

Since its founding in 1880, USC College has been the intellectual core of what has become a top-flight international research university. The College’s Wrigley Institute combines a marine program founded in 1901 with 20 years of advances in the environmental sciences.

The Edison Challenge will help our K-12 students develop the math and science skills crucial to the future success of the California economy. We look forward to seeing them carry on the tradition of innovation—and the tradition of thoughtfulness about how society interacts with our environment.

Best Wishes,

Richard M. Rosenblum
Senior Vice President of Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer
Southern California Edison
Member, Wrigley Institute Advisory Board