NOMINATIONS OPEN: OCTOBER 15, 2022 

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Arkansas Governor's School (AGS) is a four-week summer residential program for gifted and talented rising high school seniors. The school is operated by the Arkansas Department of Education through a grant to Arkansas Tech University and is supervised by the Office of Gifted and Talented Education. The 44th annual session will be conducted for approximately 400 students from July 5 through August 1, 2023, on the campus of Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Students who attend AGS must be nominated by their local high schools and selected by the State Student Selection Committee designated by the Department of Education. The committee works to ensure that every area of the state is represented. The program is designed to give gifted students the opportunity to develop and expand their powers to conceptualize, to theorize, and to explore the latest progress and problems of various academic and artistic fields. The curriculum is designed to focus on contemporary topics and issues and to encourage curiosity and a spirit of inquiry. Tuition, room, board, books, and instructional supplies are furnished for students from funds appropriated by the Arkansas General Assembly. Students are responsible for travel to and from Russellville and for any personal expenses. More information about the program including an overview and videos can be found at ags.atu.edu

ELIGIBILITY:

1.       Only students who are residents of Arkansas and who are presently in junior classes at public or private high schools or in homeschool are eligible for nomination and selection.  Students who plan to graduate from high school before attending AGS are not eligible to be nominated or apply to AGS.

2.       Nominees should have demonstrated:

1.  creativity in academic or creative fields,
2.  above average ability in the nominated discipline area (Area I),
3.  a high degree of self-motivation required to satisfy the program’s demanding requirements,
4.  the intellectual, social, and emotional maturity required to thrive in an environment that emphasizes theoretical and process-related       learning.

3.       Nominees must be willing to commit to the entire program. Students who would like to participate in other programs or activities that run concurrent to AGS should not be nominated.

4.       All qualified students should be considered for nomination regardless of socioeconomic status, cultural, or language differences.

NOMINATION DOCUMENTS:

Schools should notify students as soon as they have been nominated. All forms and documents related to the nominations must be submitted by Thursday, January 31, 2019. Individual schools may set earlier internal deadlines in order to allow for school processing time. All nomination documents and online links can be found at www.atu.edu/ags/nominationpacket/. The following forms and documents must be submitted to complete the nomination in order for the student to be considered by the State Student Selection Committee.

For each student being nominated:

1.       Student Application – to be completed and submitted online by the student

2.       Student Audition Video – to be uploaded into an unlisted YouTube file by the student only if he/she is nominated for an Area I Arts discipline (Choral Music, Drama, Instrumental Music, or Visual Arts); video should be reviewed by a school official prior to submitting the application.

3.       Teacher Recommendation – to be completed and submitted online by a teacher

4.       Counselor Recommendation – to be completed and submitted online by a school official

For each school nominating students:

1.       School Composite Form – to be completed and submitted online by a school official

2.       Student Transcript – Public schools and charter schools do not need to submit student transcripts. Transcripts will be accessed electronically and should be current. Homeschool, private, or parochial school officials are required to upload the transcripts of nominated students to a Dropbox account and share the files with @arkansas.gov. File names must include the name of the school submitting the transcript.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR CLARIFICATION:

Arkansas Tech University 

Contact: Lisa Clark

Phone: (479) 356-2037

Fax: (479) 964-0837

Email: www.ags@atu.edu

OR

Office of Gifted and Talented and Advanced Placement

Arkansas Department of Education

Contact: Krystal Nail

Phone: (501) 682-4224

Fax: (501) 682-4220

Email: krystal.nail@arkansas.gov