04-06-2025
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission announce new outdoor education pilot program
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced a new pilot program focused on education and outdoor recreation.
On Wednesday, Gov. Sanders held a press conference at the Witt Stephens Jr. Nature Center in Little Rock to announce the Arkansas Outdoor Education Pilot Program.
The governor said the pilot will be a partnership between the Arkansas Department of Education and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and is intended to equip students for a future career in outdoor recreation such as becoming an ecologist or researcher.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders grants over $460,000 for outdoor recreation
Districts across the Natural State can apply to be one of 30 schools that implement new curriculum centered around outdoor education into classrooms that meet core and elective requirements, the governor said.
'If this program is successful in our first 30 pilot schools, which I know it will be, we have the opportunity to bring it to schools all across our state and establish a model for the whole country to follow,' Sanders said.
Gov. Sanders said one of her priorities is to expand the state's outdoor economy. Sanders launched the Natural State Initiative, which is under the leadership of First Gentleman Bryan Sanders. The pilot program is one of this initiative's key objective, according to the governor.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Chief of Education Mary Beth Hatch, Arkansas Secretary Jacob Oliva, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism and Director of State Parks Shea Lewis, and Director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Doug Schoenrock also spoke at the press conference in support of the new pilot 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
