Little Rock, Arkansas – Arkansas students are being invited to trade screen time for time outdoors as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders launches the My Natural State Story contest, a new statewide effort encouraging young people to explore the state and write about experiences that made an impression on them.
The contest was launched in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism. Students ages 10 through 17 can take part by sharing personal stories about outdoor activities across Arkansas.
The idea is straightforward. Students are being asked to get outside, take part in an outdoor experience and explain what happened, where it happened and why the experience mattered to them. The organizers hope the project will encourage young Arkansans to discover places they may not have visited before while also giving them a chance to reflect on their experiences through writing.
“Arkansas is blessed with some of the greatest natural areas and opportunities for outdoor recreation anywhere in the country, which I want every kid in our state to experience firsthand,” said Governor Sanders. “This contest is about getting kids off screens and outdoors and using the power of storytelling to inspire the next generation to experience everything the Natural State has to offer.”
The competition is open for submissions beginning Thursday, with students able to submit their stories until Monday, October 12. Winners will be reviewed and announced after the submission period ends.
Students can write about one of seven outdoor categories. Those categories are hunting, fishing, boating or paddling, climbing, cycling or mountain biking, camping and hiking.
Entries can be no longer than 500 words. There is also an important requirement for participants: essays must be the students’ own work. Any submission that uses AI-generated text will automatically be excluded from the competition.
The contest divides students into two age groups, with one group for ages 10-13 and another for ages 14-17. Each category will have a winner from both age groups. That means 14 students will receive activity-category honors.
The competition will then go one step further. One student from each age group will receive the top honor, called the “My Natural State Story of the Year.” Altogether, 16 Arkansas students will receive prizes and be invited to a dinner at the governor’s mansion honoring the winners.
First Gentleman Bryan Sanders said the contest is connected to a larger effort to strengthen outdoor recreation in Arkansas and encourage young people to become interested in conservation.
“Through the Natural State Initiative, we’re working to make Arkansas a world-class outdoor recreation destination, and that starts with inspiring the next generation of conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts,” said First Gentleman Bryan Sanders. “This contest gives kids a platform to share their amazing stories and inspire other kids to follow their lead and discover God’s epic creation here in Arkansas.”
For state officials involved in tourism and outdoor recreation, the stories are expected to highlight more than activities themselves. A fishing trip, a family camping weekend or a hike can become a lasting childhood memory, and those experiences can shape how young people view the state around them.
“Some of our strongest connections to Arkansas begin with a childhood memory outdoors, a first fish, a night under the stars, a trail explored or an adventure with family,” said Shea Lewis, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. “Governor Sanders’ program is about celebrating those stories and helping young Arkansans recognize that these places, traditions, and experiences are part of their story, too. When young people build that connection to The Natural State, they become the generation that will carry it forward.”
Education officials also see the contest as a way to connect classroom learning with experiences outside school.
“Arkansas is the Natural State for a reason,” said Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva. “Inviting students to share their own outdoor stories is one of the best ways to celebrate the places that shape us. This program will inspire curiosity and help students make real-world connections and learn more about Arkansas’ heritage.”
Mary Beth Hatch, chief of education at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said outdoor experiences can make lessons more meaningful for students.
“Keeping students engaged in learning experiences that connect them to conservation and outdoor recreation is an incredible way to make learning concrete,” said Mary Beth Hatch, Chief of Education at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. “In Arkansas we are integrating these experiences into core and elective content classes so that students can experience Arkansas at its fullest. This unique lens to education is reinvigorating the classroom and the next generation. We hope to see some stories about these experiences and see everyone in the field and on the water.”
The prizes will come from donations made by Arkansas-based outdoor companies, outfitters and destinations. Each activity category offers a different reward tied to the experience students are being encouraged to explore.
The overall Arkansas Outdoor Story of the Year winner will receive an Arkansas Game and Fish lifetime hunting and fishing license, along with a $500 gift and experience package provided by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
The hunting winner will receive a Banded prize pack, while the fishing winner will receive a $1,000 PRADCO Fishing prize pack.
For boating and paddling, the Arkansas Canoe Club is providing a prize package that includes a life jacket, helmet and river school fees for two in the younger division. The older winner can choose between a river or whitewater school for two.
The climbing prize includes a two-night stay at an Arkansas State Parks lodge and two passes for a guided climb or via ferrata. The cycling winner will receive an OZ Trails Bike Park family day pass, a USA Cycling prize pack and an Ozark Trail mountain bike.
Camping winners can receive a two-night stay at an Arkansas State Parks campground or camper cabin of their choice, along with a PackRat tent and sleeping bag. The hiking prize includes a family pass for four to Crater of Diamonds and a Gearhead prize pack.
The contest is part of a broader push by the Sanders administration to expand outdoor recreation and the state’s outdoor economy. Tourism is already Arkansas’ second-largest industry. In 2025, a record 54.3 million visitors traveled to the state, spending more than $10 billion during their stays and supporting nearly 72,000 jobs directly.
The governor’s administration has also been working to introduce Arkansas students to outdoor activities and possible careers connected to the industry. Last June, Sanders partnered with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission to launch the Arkansas Outdoor Education Initiative, which gives students opportunities to learn about outdoor recreation and potential jobs in the field.
Outdoor education is also a central goal of the Natural State Initiative, led by Bryan Sanders. The initiative brings together leaders from government, businesses and nonprofit organizations in an effort to expand Arkansas’ outdoor economy and strengthen the state as a destination for outdoor recreation.
The My Natural State Story contest adds a personal element to those efforts. Instead of simply asking students to learn about Arkansas’ outdoors, it asks them to experience it and then put that experience into their own words.
For students interested in participating, submissions are open now and will remain open through October 12. The organizers are looking for stories that explain not only what students did, but also the place where the experience happened and the reason it stayed with them.
In the end, the contest is about both exploration and storytelling. Arkansas officials hope the project will encourage more young people to spend time outside, develop an appreciation for the state’s natural resources and perhaps inspire stories that show the Natural State from a child’s own perspective.
