NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT) — The North Carolina State Board of Education granted more than $1 million to 21 different school systems, including the one in Craven County.

The Emerging Technologies mini-grant was awarded to the Craven County Schools system and totals $50,000. The funds will be used to support technology and innovation in the classroom.

The school system’s current plan is to purchase Lego motion sets that will be given to fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms in all elementary schools as well as kits for all the middle schools.

District officials said they are making lesson plans to implement these Lego kits in the classroom. They also have plans to send 30 teachers to professional development programs centered around Lego robotics and STEM education.

“We had a survey done and we realized that a lot of our teachers don’t know how to integrate robotics into their instruction, so this will be one of our initiatives to do that,” said Sarah Emmerich, Craven County Schools director of Digital and Blended Learning.

Craven County Schools officials added they hope to continue to grow the digital learning initiative and eventually hold the first Lego robotics competition in their county.