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WILMINGTON – News 14 Carolina's parent company, Time Warner Cable, is putting up $100 million of cash for kids. Company executives say the Connect a Million Minds initiative is a five-year investment to help spur more student interest in math and science subjects.

Tuesday, a group of students in Wilmington learned all about technology like Segways and remote controlled vehicles with gyroscopes.

“They tie everything together. They're what balances a Segway out so you can actually move forward, backward and turn,” New Hanover High School junior Emily Michael said.

The Wilmington students were among the first to kick off the initiative aimed to inspire them to develop science, technology, engineering and math skills they need to succeed in the future.

“Kids would rather take the trash our or eat vegetables than learn about science and math, and that is a crisis facing our nation, so that is why [Time Warner Cable] has chosen this initiative,” Time Warner Cable Public Affairs Manager Andi Curtis said.

Connect a Million Minds is a five-year, $100 million philanthropic initiative with $11 million staying in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Community Collaborative reports only one out of three eighth grade students is proficient in math, and only one out of five eighth grade students is proficient in science. So getting ahead of the curve now is a big plus for students.

“In the next decade, 50 percent of our engineering jobs will be retirees and baby boomers, so we need to backfill those jobs,” Curtis said.

So far, the hands-on take to learning seems to be a big hit, and the students say they feel a little bit more prepared for the future.

For more information about Connect a Million Minds, visit the initiative's Web site.