Hawks Nest STEAM Academy is a North Carolina Model STEM School of Distinction and is home to Gaston County’s only STEAM Academy magnet school for elementary students. The school offers a challenging curriculum that features a distinct emphasis on STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.

With a focus on the five STEAM areas, students are engaged in collaborative, hands-on activities through a project-based instructional model.  The goal is to go beyond teaching the core curriculum and develop students who are innovative learners, creative thinkers, and ready to apply what they learn to real-world situations.

Students have technology at their fingertips, and they enjoy participating in activities such as robotics, advisory, spark of genius clubs, theater, music, and more.  This program creates a pathway for students to participate in the STEAM Academy at Stanley Middle School.

Students who will be in kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year may apply for this program. A lottery process will be used to determine the kindergarten students who will attend and to fill vacant seats in first grade through fifth grade.

You can learn more about Hawks Nest STEAM Academy by reviewing the resources on this webpage.