Arkansas Governor’s School Returns to Arkansas Tech University for forty-fifth Session
Get ready, Arkansas high schoolers! The Arkansas Governor’s School (AGS), a super prestigious program for academic rockstars like you, is back and better than ever. For the sixth straight year, it’s landing at Arkansas Tech University.
This year’s program kicks off on July seventh and wraps up on August third. About three hundred eighty soon-to-be senior high school students from all over the Natural State will be chosen to dive into this epic four-week learning adventure.
The Scoop: What You’ll Be Doing at AGS
AGS is all about pushing your intellectual boundaries and helping you find your academic groove. It’s divided into three main areas:
AGS Area I: Specialized Disciplines – Find Your Passion
This is where you get down to business and pick a subject you’re totally stoked about. You’ll spend a good chunk of your time going deep into one of these nine awesome areas:
- Choral music
- Development engineering
- Instrumental music
- Drama
- English/language arts
- Mathematics
- Natural science
- Social science
- Visual arts
AGS Area II: Nature of Knowledge – Think Like a Philosopher
This isn’t your average class, guys. Area II is where things get seriously meta. You’ll explore the nature of knowledge itself, grappling with big-brain questions about how we know what we know. Think critical thinking on steroids – it’s all about learning how to learn.
AGS Area III: Personal and Social Development – Become a Leader and a Rockstar Human
This is where AGS goes beyond just book smarts. You’ll learn about personal growth, ethical leadership, and how to make a positive impact on the world. Think of it as a crash course in becoming the best, most well-rounded version of yourself.
Meet the Masterminds: The AGS Faculty
AGS is known for having a faculty that’s off the charts awesome. We’re talking about top-notch educators from seventeen different universities and K- schools all over the place.
The Big Bosses: Co-Directors
- Peter Dykema, Arkansas Tech University
- Jacob Grosskopf, Arkansas Tech University
Area I Instructors: Your Guides to Academic Awesomeness
Each area of specialization has a crew of dedicated instructors ready to guide you through the academic jungle. These folks are experts in their fields and know how to make learning fun (yes, even math!).
Choral Music:
- Kane Bradley (University of Memphis)
Development Engineering:
- Matt Young (Arkansas Tech University)
Drama:
- David Eshelman (Arkansas Tech University)
English/Language Arts:
- Tori Sharpe (Arkansas Tech University)
- Claire Kortyna (Arkansas Tech University)
Instrumental Music:
- Rick Dimond (Henderson State University)
- Erin Cameron (Arkansas State University)
Mathematics:
- John Anglin (University of Arkansas at Little Rock)
- Stacy Key (University of the Ozarks)
Natural Sciences:
- Chance Duncan (Russellville School District)
- Burt Hollandsworth (Arkansas School for Math, Science and Arts)
- Mark Meredith (Russellville School District)
- Jacob Siebach (Arkansas Tech University)
Social Sciences:
- Nate Chapman (Arkansas Tech University)
- Patrick Hagge (Arkansas Tech University)
- Julie Mikles-Schluterman (Arkansas Tech University)
- Justin Moss (Arkansas Tech University)
Visual Arts:
- Jasmine Greer (Arkansas Tech University)
- Ashley Kinsey (Arkansas Tech University)
Area II Instructors: The Brain Benders
Get ready to have your mind blown wide open! The Area II crew is here to challenge your assumptions and make you think about the world in totally new ways. Prepare to debate, discuss, and dive deep into the nature of knowledge itself. These instructors are basically academic ninjas, trained to sharpen your critical thinking skills to a razor’s edge.
- Mark Elrod (University of Central Arkansas)
- Elizabeth Chaffin (Bentonville School District)
- John Gripka (North Arkansas College)
- Latasha Holt (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)
- Andrea Lively (University of Central Arkansas)
- Kathy Manus (Haas Hall Academy Rogers)
- Phillip Spivey (University of Central Arkansas)
- Arwen Taylor (Arkansas Tech University)
- Kelsey Utne (Arkansas Tech University)
Area III Instructors: The Heart and Soul Squad
This team of awesome educators is all about helping you become a better human, inside and out. They’ll guide you through the ins and outs of personal growth, ethical leadership, and making a positive impact on the world. Get ready for some serious self-discovery and maybe even a little soul-searching (in a good way, of course!).
- Rob Stevens (Arkansas Tech University)
- Richard Gobble (Bentonville School District)
- Tina King (Action Behavior Center, Arlington, Texas)
- Olivia Lewis (Sheridan School District)
- Xela McArthur (Russellville School District)
- Monica McCullough (Riverview School District)
- Bill Morelan (Arkansas Tech University)
- Chad Terrell (Conway School District)
- Brendan Toner (Arkansas Tech University)
A Little Trip Down Memory Lane: The History of AGS
AGS isn’t some fly-by-night program, folks. It’s got history. We’re talking way back to nineteen seventy nine when then-Governor Bill Clinton had the bright idea to start this whole thing. Talk about a legacy, right?
And it’s not just some random program, either. AGS is run by the Arkansas Department of Education Gifted and Talented Programs peeps, so you know it’s legit. Plus, there’s a whole advisory council appointed by the governor himself to make sure things are running ship-shape.
Ready to Dive In? How to Learn More About AGS
So, you’re totally hyped about AGS and want to learn more? We don’t blame you! Head over to www.atu.edu/ags to get all the deets, from application deadlines to FAQs and everything in between.