Student nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Arkansas Governor’s School (AGS) to be held at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas from Sunday, July 7 - Saturday, August 3, 2024. Arkansas Governor's School is a four-week summer residential program for rising high school seniors. The 2024 AGS is operated by Arkansas Tech University through a grant funded by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and is supervised by the DESE Office of Gifted and Talented Education. 

AGS is designed to give 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 focuses on contemporary topics and issues and encourages a spirit of inquiry. Tuition, room, board, 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. 

Juniors who are residents of Arkansas and attending any public or private high school, or who are home-schooled, are eligible for nomination. Nominees should have demonstrated:  

• creativity in academic or creative fields,
• above average ability in the areas(s) of nomination,
• a high degree of self-motivation required to satisfy the program’s demanding requirements, and
• the intellectual, social, and emotional maturity needed to thrive in an environment that emphasizes theoretical and process-related learning.  

Schools are urged to nominate the most qualified students while keeping three things in mind:  

• Nomination is not equivalent to selection.
• Only those students who meet the criteria outlined in the AGS program information and who evidence a sincere interest in attending the entire four-week session should be considered.
• Students should be considered for nomination regardless of socioeconomic status, cultural or language differences. 

Students must be nominated by their local high schools, or parents in the case of home-schooled students, and are selected by the State Student Selection Committee designated by DESE. Principals and counselors should notify all students who express interest in attending AGS whether the school is submitting their nomination to the State Student Selection Committee. The committee works to ensure that every area of the state is represented. All nominated students will be notified by Wednesday, March 13, 2024 whether they have been selected to attend. 

Detailed instructions on the nomination process for the 2024 Arkansas Governor’s School can be found at www.atu.edu/ags/apply.php.

• Friday, January 26, 2024 - Due: Student application materials.
• Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - Due: School recommendation materials. 

Schools interested in inviting someone to speak with juniors about AGS should contact the Arkansas Governor's School at 479-356-2037 or ags@atu.edu. Additional information is available at www.atu.edu/ags.