School of Conservation Leadership
Submit your Letter of Commitment for the School of Conservation Leadership designation by August 15!
Looking For Conservation In Your Curriculum?
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is committed to inspiring a love of the outdoors and conservation in young Arkansans and is working with schools to foster responsible stewardship of natural resources in the next generation.
Through our School of Conservation Leadership Program, AGFC is working to increase conservation education, outdoor learning and outdoor recreation opportunities for students in Arkansas and to increase awareness of conservation careers and inspire the next generation of conservation professionals. The Commission has created a designation that recognizes the public, private, charter and early childhood schools that are doing this well. If you’d like your school to be a School of Conservation Leadership, please work with your school’s administration to review the requirements below and complete the Letter of Commitment and return to marybeth.hatch@agfc.ar.gov if your school wants to participate.
Are you ready to earn the AGFC School of Conservation Leadership designation?
Increasing participation in all Arkansas Game and Fish Commission programming at the campus level
Increase conservation education, outdoor learning, and outdoor recreation opportunities for students in Arkansas
Bring awareness to the role AGFC plays in the Outreach and Commitment to Arkansans through conservation education
Increase awareness of AGFC careers through the development of the next generation of conservation professionals
Utilize our current foundations in Conservation Education
Recognize schools that are doing this well, create model/mentor schools/programs within the state; create new opportunities and continue current programming offered by Nature Center staff to support education outreach
Application: Phase 1
Involvement: At least one classroom/teacher
Teacher PD: 6 hrs provided by AGFC
Lessons: 5 must be taught from curriculum
Derby: 1 must be held by the school
Conservation Project: Must be completed
Award: fishing and sampling equipment valued around $1,800
Conservation Art Project
2 separate projects
Involvement: School decision
1 – AGFC focus
1 – Recycling/repurpose focus
Proof of application for the AGFC Conservation Education Grant
Involvement: At least 1 application
*You do not have to receive, but must apply during the current school year
GIS Project
1 project
Involvement: School decision
Create a GIS project related to outdoor recreation, conservation, or environmental science
* See examples below
Involvement: Archery must be offered to students during the school day by at least 1 teacher/class
Teacher PD: 6 hrs provided by AGFC
BAI Training Schedule June 1-September 30, 2025
Teacher Professional Development
Involvement: At least 1 teacher per grade level has attended a conservation focused PD
* Artifact included in application as evidence
Must offer at least one of the following to students:
Hunter Education (10 hrs) OR Boater Education (6 hrs)
Involvement: School decision
* Can be taught by certified staff or AGFC staff
Guest Lectures from Conservation Professionals and Community/Industry Partners
3 experiences on your campus and one must work with at least one community or industry partner on a project related to conservation or outdoor recreation
Involvement: At least 3 different classes or grade levels are involved
*See examples below
Team of students and teacher participate in citizen science data collection of water way near school location or community
- Water quality monitoring
- Macroinvertebrate analysis
- Habitat improvements and restoration
Arkansas Outdoor Education Resource
Utilize the curriculum and participate in outdoor education experiences
- each grade level will teach 2 lessons per year
- each grade level will offer an average of 50 hours of outdoor education experiences during the school year
Nature Center or Hatchery Visit
Engage in programming offered by AGFC staff that aligns with other conservation projects
* Must go beyond a basic tour of the center or hatchery
Competitive Shooting Sports Team
- AIS: offered 10 hours of in class instruction, each team minimum of 5 practices
- YSS: all team members have hunter education, participate in minimum of 5 team practices
Open enrollment for community members (public event)
Showcase of entire application process and projects involved to share with family and the community
- Can include a public fishing derby
- Can include involvement in STEM night
- Cannot be a fundraiser or fish fry
Examples of Conservation Project:
- Storm water drainage on campus
- Stream bank restoration
- Native tree planting
Examples of GIS Project:
- Places to fish
- Pollinator habitats
- Wildlife observation
Examples of Art Project:
- Reusing recyclable or non-recyclable materials
- Objects creating the AGFC logo
- Species in our region
Application: Phase 2
- The application process is the actual application itself
- Schools will upload their artifacts, evidence and rationale for each section
- Schools will also upload any relevant artifacts such as photos, video links, news articles, etc. to help support their claim to earn the designation
Application: Phase 3
AGFC Education Leadership Staff will be on-site to view the showcase and complete final evaluations.
- 1-2 hours in total
- Could be: student presentation, panel, school tour, video showcase, project displays and presentations, or any way that your campus can showcase that you are an AGFC School of Conservation
Mary Beth Hatch
Chief of Education
Little Rock, AR
Raven Harris
Assistant Chief of Education
Little Rock, AR