Salisbury, NC - In an effort to prepare students for the rapidly advancing technological landscape, North Hills Christian School has announced the implementation of a comprehensive STEM program.

The program, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, will be integrated into the school's curriculum and advances their holistic approach of equipping mind, body, and soul. Using a hands-on and project-based approach, students will have the opportunity to work on real-world problems and projects including coding, robotics, AI, app development, and more.

Mr. Joey Lloyd has been announced as the school’s STEM Project Coordinator in addition to being the Middle School Science Instructor. Mr. Lloyd has extensive experience in implementing STEM programming. In addition, he has a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology and a Master’s certificate in Science Education. In 2018, he was awarded the North Carolina District 6 Science Teacher of the Year.

"Our school’s mission is to equip the hearts and minds of students to impact the world for Christ. By fostering a love for STEM subjects, students will now have more tools to make an even greater impact," said Upper School Principal, Dr. Chris Crabtree.

The first project that STEM students will be working on is the implementation of 10 Temi Robots which were purchased through grant funding received from the state. North Hills has the distinction of being the only school in North America that will be using these robots.

Temi is the world’s first, truly intelligent, mobile, personal robot. Temi places users at the center of technology, including smart devices, online content, and video communications harnessed by the power of voice and hands-free. The robots feature state-of-the-art AI, and a system of sensors and cameras.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer our students such an exciting and valuable program," said Dr. Crabtree. "We believe that this will have a positive impact on not only our student's academic achievement but also on the community as a whole as we will be helping to develop the next generation of STEM professionals equipped with a biblical worldview."

Forty-two of North Hill’s 475 students have been initially selected through an application process to participate in the first course offering which will begin as an elective held two days per week. The school is also currently developing plans for a state-of-the-art STEM lab to be built on campus in the near future.

North Hills Christian School is a non-denominational college-preparatory Christian day school serving over 470 students in junior kindergarten through 12th grade. It is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), a division of AdvancEd, and by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), an internationally respected organization that is recognized by the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education.