Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer announces funding for “Hole in One for STEM” Project at Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta

Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer has announced that Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta 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.

"Fun, innovative STEM projects give middle schoolers the chance to experiment, explore, and discover how their ideas can come to life," Lt. Governor Cournoyer said. "When students get to build and create in hands-on ways, they develop confidence, curiosity, and problem-solving skills that will carry them into high school and beyond."

Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta will use this STEM funding for an innovative project designed to immerse approximately 80 students in a hands-on engineering and coding challenge. Through the integration of robotics kits and microcontrollers, students will tackle the complex task of designing, prototyping, and constructing a functional, interactive miniature golf course.

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. 12 schools in 12 states and territories were awarded $500 to $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," NLGA Executive Director Kellie Rittershausen said. "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/.