 Right now I'm taking the Honors Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology course and I have to say it's been one of the most fascinating courses I've ever taken in my entire life. Welcome to NCSSM Connect. The Division of Extended Learning at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics offers interactive teaching and learning opportunities for students across our state by using technology to nurture and connect young scholars. Unlike other online classes, you have that sense of communication. Instead of just looking at PowerPoints and typing stuff out, you actually feel like you're in a physical class or with other students. I mean other online classes don't really have that. Material is also super interesting too. We offer a variety of honors level and advanced placement STEM and humanities classes in 70-minute 4x4 blocks throughout the school day. The main difference in taking a course through NCSSM Connect to others is the fact that we have students throughout the state all in the same course with similar interests in their education and you have a synchronous teacher in there every single day with you to guide you along the way so it makes it very different than other online courses. NCSSM Connect courses are tuition free for North Carolina public school students. By participating in this program, students get to have this experience from the comfort of their own school in a distance education format that provides more support and connection than a typical online class. NCSSM accommodates multiple school calendars bringing together diverse learners from the mountains to the coast. The teachers here are fantastic, they're engaging and the community is amazing. I've made a couple of friends through this program and I could not be more happy with my experience. Students can participate in NCSSM Connect courses if they have access to a computer, a webcam and stable internet connection. Using our interactive video conferencing studios and our expertise in STEM education, we help public schools offer courses in hard to staff subject areas. It's a low to no cost way to support your STEM goals and offer advanced coursework to smaller groups of students. Our instructors prioritize building relationships with every student and combine lecture, hands-on learning, problem-solving challenges, debates, project-based learning, gamification and more to make learning relevant and impactful. Utilizing interactive video software, students are able to collaborate in project teams and whole class discussions with their like-minded peers across the state and are encouraged to take intellectual risks. So like Danielle said, reparations, they're not going to undo everything. Obviously, you can't go back and undo what was done, but it will help alleviate that pain. This affords students the opportunity to develop the skills required by real world, business and industry. Well, you know the motto of the School of Science and Math is accepting the greater challenge. And so students should take one of our courses to accept a greater challenge. A greater challenge of a more advanced course where they can meet students from across the state and get a chance to dive deeply into some of these advanced subjects that we offer, like engineering classes, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, etc. NCSSM teachers monitor the class in real time by assessing student learning and ensuring that students engage with the course materials. So you've made some progress, probably on part A at the very least. Okay, good. I did part A and now I'm having fun. Okay. What will you need to connect? As a student, you will need to review the course offerings available on our website. Find a class of interest that fits your daily schedule and then contact your school counselor for more information. Only school personnel can register you for a course. School personnel will need to publicize the NCSSM Connect course offerings. Determine which courses will be appropriate for your students, making sure that the course fits in their schedule. Ensure that a designated distraction-free space is available for students to fully participate in the course. This includes turning on their cameras, using their microphones, and participating in class during the entire scheduled time. Plan to provide the needed technology and textbook to each student. Identify a facilitator as a point of contact who will receive and share materials and communications. And complete a brief registration form for each student taking the course. That's it. Ready to partner? The registration form can be found on our website at www.ncssm.edu forward slash ncssm connects.