CITGO Sparks STEM Curiosity with $686,000 in New Grants for Schools in Louisiana, Illinois, and Texas

HOUSTON, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation is investing approximately $686,000 to support 24 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)-focused initiatives across Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas. The funding is part of the CITGO STEM Program, which aims to increase the number of students graduating high school and entering STEM-related post-secondary programs leading toward technical and professional careers in their community.

From robotics clubs in Louisiana to new Innovation Academy classrooms in Texas, this year's grants fund the kind of hands-on learning that turns curiosity into a career path.

"Every robot built, circuit wired, or bridge designed in a classroom today is practice for the work our industry needs tomorrow," said Kresha Sivinski, CITGO Vice President of Human Resources and Support Services. "These grants let teachers say yes to the projects that make STEM click for students, and that's exactly where CITGO wants to invest."

The CITGO STEM Program builds toward that goal through two cornerstone initiatives: CITGO Innovation Academies, which embed STEM learning into the daily classroom experience at our partner schools, and the CITGO Innovation Scholarship Program, which helps students carry that momentum into college and STEM careers.

The CITGO Innovation Academies are STEM-focused educational programs designed to build a K-12 pipeline of future innovators in communities near CITGO's operational areas. In addition to supporting the Innovation Academies, CITGO offers grants to schools and community partners in underserved areas to drive interest and exploration in STEM, particularly hands-on learning in coding, robotics, engineering and the skilled trades.

This year's funding also includes a Signature Program grant to the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, which will train teachers in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Lemont, Illinois, to bring energy and energy-efficiency curriculum into their classrooms, plus continued support for the CITGO Innovation Scholarship Program through Scholarship America.

Recipients of 2026 CITGO STEM grants include the following:

Illinois

• CITGO Innovation Academies at:
  • Lemont High School
  • Lemont-Bromberek School District 113A
  • Lockport Township High School District 205
     
• Grants
  • Valley View School District 365U (Bolingbrook and Romeoville High Schools)
  • Lockport School District 91

Louisiana

• CITGO Innovation Academies in Calcasieu Parish at:
  • E.K. Key Elementary School
  • LeBlanc Middle School
  • Sulphur High School
     
• Grants
  • Maplewood Middle School
  • W.W. Lewis Middle School
     
• Robotics/STEM Mini Grants
  • Dolby Elementary School Robotics Program
  • Vinton High School Robotics Program

Texas

Corpus Christi

• CITGO Innovation Academies
  • Cunningham Middle School at South Park (Corpus Christi ISD)
  • Dr. J.A. Garcia Elementary School (Corpus Christi ISD)
  • Foy H. Moody High School (Corpus Christi ISD)
  • West Oso Independent School District
     
• Robotics/STEM Mini Grants
  • Galvan Robotics Club (Corpus Christi ISD)

Houston

CITGO Innovation Academies in Alief Independent School District at

• Alief Early College High School
• Olle Middle School
• Klentzman Intermediate School
   
• Grants
  • HCC IDEAS Academy at Houston City College
     
• Robotics/STEM Mini Grants
  • Horn STEM Elementary (Alief ISD)

National

• National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project - serving Corpus Christi, Texas, and Lemont, Illinois
• Scholarship America - CITGO Innovation Scholarship Program awards

About CITGO

CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry and operates under the well-known CITGO brand. CITGO owns and operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and/or jointly owns 43 active terminals, eight pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,300 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 829,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO ranks as the fifth largest and is one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products, and supplies a network of approximately 4,000 locally owned and independently operated branded retail outlets. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc.

SOURCE CITGO Petroleum Corporation