Thirty-one schools across Arkansas have been designated as Schools of Conservation Leadership for 2026-2029, marking a significant step in fostering conservation education among students statewide. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) honored the designees last Thursday at its headquarters in Little Rock. Representatives from many of the schools attended the ceremony in person, nearly filling the auditorium, while others joined virtually.
Derek Ratchford, Outdoor Education Initiative Manager for the AGFC, emphasized the program’s broad applicability. "Every single grade level earned a designation," Ratchford noted. "It proves conservation education has a place no matter how old they are, no matter what types of learning environments, no matter what types of classes you offer. It’s impactful and it matters."
The newly designated schools include Izard County Consolidated and Malvern’s Loblolly Pine School in the Pre-K category; Clear Spring in Eureka Springs and Van Buren’s Joshua Academy as K-12 schools; and numerous elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools spread across 25 Arkansas counties. Notable designees include Valley Springs Elementary and Middle Schools, Fayetteville’s ALLPS School of Innovation, and the Thaden School in Bentonville.
Interest in the program has grown significantly since its inception. In its first year, 21 schools achieved the designation. For this second cohort, 65 schools applied, with 56 advancing to the site-visit stage. Out of those, 31 successfully met the criteria to join the program.
Ratchford also commended schools that did not achieve the designation but made strides in conservation education. "They’ve built something special that we’re going to continue supporting," he said. "We’re going to continue pouring into those classrooms and those students."
The program’s expansion has been notable, growing from representation in nine counties in the previous cohort to 25 counties today. Schools of all types—public, private, charter, and virtual—are participating, and the program is currently impacting over 33,000 students.
Mary Beth Hatch, the AGFC’s Chief of Education, highlighted the program’s uniqueness. "I don’t see any other states doing this," she said after researching similar initiatives across the country. "There truly are no other states in the United States of America that are being this intentional when it comes to conservation and outdoor recreation in the K-12 education system."
Looking ahead, the program is set to grow further. Over 100 schools have applied for Cohort 3, which is slated for the 2026-2027 school year, with applications closing two months ahead of schedule due to high demand. Additionally, 20 previously designated schools have been invited to serve as mentors to help guide the new applicants. To support this growth, the agency is transitioning five staff roles to focus on professional development and program coordination.
The initiative seeks to eliminate barriers to outdoor education, using funding from the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, conservation license plate sales, and the state’s conservation sales tax. This funding helps provide schools with resources such as equipment, supplies, and experiences at little to no cost, including educational activities like nature center visits, live animal demonstrations, barge trips down the Arkansas River, and stream cleanups.
As part of the designation ceremony, schools received banners and mallard investigation boxes, courtesy of Five Oaks Lodge near Humphrey. The boxes include teaching materials on wildlife and waterfowl, provided by the lodge's owner, former AGFC Commissioner George H. Dunklin Jr., and his daughter Hillary Dunklin.
Next on the program’s calendar is the second Generation Conservation Summit, or GenCon. Scheduled for November 4-5 at the Hot Springs Convention Center and Bank OZK Arena, the event invites students, teachers, mentors, and community members for two days of outdoor education and engagement.
Ratchford noted that the program’s impact extends beyond schools. "Your families were there for your programs," he said, referencing fishing derbies and other activities organized by the schools. "We impacted adults through this K-12 education program, and we impacted communities."
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission continues to prioritize conservation and outdoor education, fostering a growing network of schools working to integrate these values into their curricula.