Many of the Natural State’s best and brightest rising high school seniors will spend four summer weeks on the Arkansas Tech University campus in Russellville as students at Arkansas Governor’s School 2026.
The 47th edition of AGS will begin on Sunday, July 5, and continue through Saturday, Aug. 1. Dr. Jacob Grosskopf, ATU faculty member and AGS director, said he anticipates 394 students will report for move-in day and the opening session. This will mark the eighth consecutive year that Arkansas Tech has hosted Arkansas Governor’s School.
“It’s a school, within a school, that’s between schools,” said Grosskopf when asked to describe Arkansas Governor’s School. “There are many parts to governor’s school. It acts like a small college within a college, even though it’s not a college prep school. In essence, it’s a place where students who are like-minded in that they love certain subjects come together to push themselves and learn.
“One goal that’s never really stated is we want these students to stay in the state,” continued Grosskopf. “After high school, and after college even, we want these students to stay in (Arkansas) and better the state.”
The daily class schedule at AGS is based, in part, upon each student’s demonstrated aptitude in one of nine areas of specialization: choral music, instrumental music, drama, English/language arts, mathematics, natural science, social science, visual arts or a special track dedicated to the economy, natural resources and people of Arkansas.
Those nine disciplines constitute what is defined as AGS Area I. AGS Area II is a study of the nature of knowledge, while AGS Area III is focused on the personal and social development of students.
Founded in 1979 by Gov. Bill Clinton, Arkansas Governor’s School is supervised by the Arkansas Department of Education Gifted and Talented Programs administrator with assistance from an advisory council appointed by the governor.
Learn more about Arkansas Governor’s School at www.atu.edu/ags.
