Arkansas students between the ages of 10 and 17 can participate in a new statewide essay contest highlighting outdoor adventures, with prizes including lifetime hunting and fishing licenses. The My Natural State Story contest, launched by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders on August 26, is organized in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Education, Game and Fish Commission, and the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism.
Students are invited to submit essays of up to 500 words online at mynaturalstatestory.com by Monday, October 12. Each entry must describe a real outdoor experience in Arkansas, offering details on where it occurred, what happened, and why it was meaningful. AI-generated content is explicitly disallowed and will result in disqualification.
Participants must select one of seven categories: hunting, fishing, boating or paddling, climbing, cycling or mountain biking, camping, or hiking. The competition is divided into two age groups, 10 to 13 and 14 to 17, resulting in 14 category winners. Additionally, one overall winner from each age group will be named My Natural State Story of the Year.
All 16 winners will receive prizes and be honored at a special dinner hosted at the governor’s mansion. Award packages, provided by Arkansas outdoor brands and outfitters, vary by category and include a $1,000 fishing set, mountain bikes, camping gear, Crater of Diamonds State Park family passes, and two-night stays at state park lodges and campgrounds. The two grand-prize winners will each take home a Game and Fish lifetime hunting and fishing license and a $500 gift and experience package.
Mountain Home-area students will find several of the contest categories relevant to nearby attractions such as trout fishing on the White River, exploring Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake, or hiking and camping in the Ozarks.
“This contest is about getting kids off screens and outdoors and using the power of storytelling to inspire the next generation to experience everything the Natural State has to offer,” said Governor Sanders.
State officials have connected the contest to Arkansas’ tourism economy, which the governor’s office identifies as the state’s second-largest industry. Last year, Arkansas welcomed 54.3 million visitors who spent over $10 billion and supported nearly 72,000 jobs directly. The contest builds on initiatives like the Arkansas Outdoor Education Initiative, launched in June to introduce students to outdoor recreation and career opportunities tied to the outdoor economy.