 The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics was the nation's first public boarding school to offer a focused curriculum in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The school continues to lead the way in public education today. Every year the school welcomes more than 650 students from every corner of the state, all 13 congressional districts and nearly every county, tuition free. These juniors and seniors embrace a highly charged academic climate away from home. Students discover their own way to learn through smaller, collaborative classes and research and mentorship programs through Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, NC Central and NC State. Since 1980 the school has been continually committed to transforming today's students into tomorrow's leaders. Every student that graduates from NCSSM must complete 60 hours of community service during the summer and 3 hours of service per week on campus during the school year. Lately, NCSSM has been raising awareness about hunger in North Carolina by holding the largest food drive in the United States. Last year alone our food drive provided meals for over half a million North Carolinians. By extending the reach of our food drive to the entire North Carolina community, our students hope to inspire the spirit of community service. Each year NCSSM provides hundreds of students largely from low wealth communities with high level science and math programming, classroom collaborations and virtual field trips to museums, colleges, hospitals and other organizations here in North Carolina or around the world. NCSSM is leading North Carolina and the nation by proving that high school is more than just cliques, clothes and classrooms. It's providing the kind of 21st century education that is a fuel for our economy by teaching students to accept the greater challenge.