AGFC education challenge returns to Spa City for Arkansas students Nov. 4-5

HOT SPRINGS — Schools throughout Arkansas are invited to engage with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Generation Conservation Summit in Hot Springs this fall. The massive two-day event will again take place at the Bank OZK Arena and Hot Springs Convention Center on Nov. 4-5 and will feature dozens of challenges for students, ranging from traditional quiz bowls on conservation knowledge to physical challenges led by AGFC game wardens, wild game cooking and accuracy competitions for air riflery and casting.

Larami Burge, Generation Conservation Coordinator for the AGFC, said this year’s event will build on last year’s positive experience, keeping the most popular portions of the 2025 Summit and adding a few new twists.

“The student engagement last year was phenomenal,” Burge said. “About 95 percent of the teachers I spoke with said they are positive that they’ll return this year. The real key to the positive experience was the combination of all aspects and divisions of the AGFC coming together to have something for everyone. We plan to continue that template with a variety of experiences to keep students and teachers engaged. We’re letting everyone know now to get their students ready for another great event for any student in their school.”

The 2025 Summit would not have been possible without the generous support of Entergy, which stepped up to provide $100,000 in sponsorship through the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and ensured that students attending the event had a rewarding experience.

“The overwhelming response to last year’s inaugural Generation Conservation Summit shows just how passionate the next generation is about protecting our natural resources,” Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, said. “At Entergy, we’re proud to support this effort through our Environmental Initiatives Fund, investing in programs that connect students to conservation and sustainability. These experiences not only inspire stewardship but also help build the workforce and innovation needed to deliver more power and better power for our communities as part of our Next Generation Arkansas vision.”

Similar to last year, regional competitions will be held before the summit.

“Regional competitions are scheduled for Oct. 6-7,” Burge said. “We will have North-Central, Northwest, East and South divisions to offer a portion of the program to those schools who may want to practice for the larger competition, as well as to give students who may not be able to drive all the way to Hot Springs an opportunity to compete at some level.”

Burge says there will also be competitions that can be completed at the schools themselves and submitted for separate judging from the on-site and regional competitions.

“We want to make sure that any school wanting to participate in our Generation Conservation initiative has some way to engage with their students and get their feet wet,” Burge said. “The in-school pre-competition projects are a great way to build those conservation clubs and student groups. Once they’re involved, it’s a pretty natural progression to join us at regionals and eventually Generation Conservation Summit. We can assist educators along the way with instruction and even professional development credits to ensure they have the knowledge and skills necessary to pass along to their students and increase the effectiveness of the program.”

A complete list of events, regional area outlines, registration and additional details are available at www.agfc.com/education/generation-conservation.

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CUTLINES:

STUDENTS AT TABLE
Arkansas teachers are encouraged to make plans for the return of The AGFC’s Generation Conservation Education Summit, Nov. 4-5 in Hot Springs. AGFC photo.

FLY -YING
Students were immersed in all sorts of outdoors-oriented activities, such as fly-tying, when they were not engaged in conservation-focused competitions. AGFC photo.

LOGO
Entergy stepped forward last year as the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Generation Conservation Summit. 

CASTING POND
Casting contests were only one of many competitions students engaged in at the Generation Conservation Summit. AGFC photo.