Office of Lt. Governor David Zuckerman
____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 30th, 2024
Contact
Lisa Gerlach
Chief of Staff, Office of the Lt. Governor
(802) 636-7047
Lisa.gerlach@vermont.gov
NEWS: Lt. Gov. Zuckerman announces STEM Funding for EMT Certification Program at Burlington Technical Center
MONTPELIER, Vt: On Tuesday, Lt. Governor David Zuckerman announced that Burlington Technical Center will receive support for its high school EMT Certification Program as a recipient of the NLGA Lt. Governors’ STEM Scholarship Program. NLGA has awarded the school $1,000 as part of a national call for applications for funding STEM programming and curriculum in schools.
“Like many other states, Vermont is experiencing a shortage of certified EMS professionals to serve our communities, and I’m proud to support this program training students early with an eye towards future careers,” said Lt. Governor Zuckerman. “By funding equipment for the EMT Certification Program, NLGA is supporting an opportunity that may add at least 12 additional EMTs to Vermont’s roster of emergency professionals.”
Burlington Tech provides hands-on career and college readiness opportunities for high school students, and students in the Health Sciences Academy graduate with an average of 17 college credits. The NLGA scholarship funding will be used to purchase AED trainer kits and other equipment needed for the EMT Certification Program. The students in that program will complete an 8-week EMT training that gives them the knowledge and skills in order to sit for the EMT national certification exam. Students participate in hands-on experiences, shadowing professionals and participating in work-based learning.
NLGA opened the application period for the STEM Scholarship Program in February 2024. The application process was competitive, with NLGA receiving more than 200 requests for STEM funding from schools in 28 states and territories. Twelve schools in 12 states 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 Julia Brossart. “By supporting STEM-related activities in schools across the country, we can encourage a long-term interest and passion in STEM education 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.
“ACT is proud to once again sponsor this program,” ACT CEO Janet Godwin said. “ACT data shows that the current state of STEM readiness is cause for serious concern. ACT is uniquely poised to meet this moment, and working alongside NLGA, we are committed to ensuring that all students leave high school prepared to enter a world of evolving postsecondary and work opportunities, including through access to a high-quality STEM education.”
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 May.
Additional information on the STEM Scholarship Program can be found at https://nlga.us/strategies/nlga-state-strategies-in-stem/.
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