KENOSHA, WI – Wisconsin Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez has announced that Shoreland Lutheran High School is an award recipient of the 2026 NLGA Lt. Governors STEM Scholarship Program! NLGA will award the school $500 as part of a national call for applications for funding STEM programming and curriculum in schools.
“STEM careers are the careers of the future, and I appreciate this funding to support unique STEM opportunities in Wisconsin,” said Lt. Governor Rodriguez. “Wisconsin has a robust aerospace and aviation ecosystem, and as a leader of the NLGA Aerospace Committee, I appreciate this focus on engaging students in transformative learning experiences while preparing them for a future career in aviation.”
Shoreland will use the NLGA funding to support the school’s Aerospace Engineering course, which explores atmospheric flight and space flight, including learning how to fly an aircraft using engineering principles. Approximately 500 students in the school’s STEM Academy will engage with this course, with NLGA funding being used to purchase additional flight simulator equipment to reduce the waiting list for the class and expand programming for students. NLGA opened the application period for the STEM Scholarship Program in January 2026. The application process was competitive, with NLGA receiving 135 requests for STEM funding from schools in 27 states and territories. Twelve schools in 12 states and territories were awarded $500 – $1,000 for STEM-related expenses.
“As the seconds-in-command in state and territorial government, lieutenant governors are uniquely poised to lead on STEM education,” said NLGA Executive Director Kellie Rittershausen. “By supporting STEM-related activities in schools across the country for the fifth year in a row, NLGA is encouraging a long-term interest and passion in STEM in America’s youth.”
The Scholarship Program is administered by NLGA, the nonpartisan, nonprofit association for the nation’s seconds-in-command, and sponsored by ACT, the education and career readiness nonprofit. “We’re grateful to see all the innovative ideas submitted for this year’s awards and are especially excited to support these winning initiatives,” said John Clark, Vice President, State and Federal Government Relations, ACT. “STEM programs like these give students hands-on experiences that exercise their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities – skills needed in college and the workforce. We’re honored to sponsor this scholarship and proud to work with the National Lt. Governors Association to help schools deliver this innovative learning.”
Public, private, and tribal schools serving pre-K – 12th grade students in the 50 states and five U.S. territories were invited to apply for funding to support STEM-related activities, programming, curriculum, equipment, and other expenses. Funding will be provided to all winning schools in April/May. Additional information on the STEM Scholarship Program can be found at https://nlga.us/stem-scholarship-program/.
