Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Two Blevins Students Attending Governor's School

This year two students from Blevins High School have been selected to attend 2000 Arkansas Governor's School (AGS) for the Gifted and Talented, and one has been selected as an alternate.

Those selected are Kathleen Friend in the area of natural science and Bianca Kinnu in the area of choral music. Selected as alternate is Amber Sams in the area of natural science.

Students attending the 21st annual AGS program are scheduled to arrive on the Hendrix College campus in Conway on Sunday, June 11, where they will be welcomed by Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Selection for Governor's School is highly competitive and requires nomination by the high school teachers, as well as auditions and selection by a panel of judges.

Students are selected to attend the Governor's School on the basis of their abilities and interests in a particular academic discipline or artistic fields. They must write an essay, submit academic credentials and, if nominated in an art area, perform an audition.

Students may be nominated in any of eight areas, English/language arts; natural science; social science; mathematics; instrumental music; choral music; drama or visual art. About two-thirds of each student's class time is spent studying in the use of theory to understand, manage and integrate knowledge.

Each student also pursues classroom work and reading in two other areas of general education: general conceptual development, which focuses on logic and thinking skills, and personal and social development, which focuses on applying theory to practical issues and community service.

Approximately 700 students were nominated this year for the 400 positions. The statewide selection committee strive to identify those students with the intellectual ability, creativity, motivation and maturity to optimally benefit from the intense educational six-week summer program.

The selection committees include professionals from the respective fields, members of the Governor's Advisory Counsel on Gifted Education, high school administrators and teachers, all of whom spend several days auditioning and reviewing applications in the process of selecting the 2000 participants.

Established in 1980, AGS is an innovative program designed for Arkansas' brightest youth. This summer residential program is fully state funded and involves no grades, tests or credit. Students attend at no personal cost with the exception of transportation to and from the Hendrix campus.

There are Saturday classes, concerts, arts shows, drama performances, nationally known speakers, inspiring films, as well as distinguished faculty and staff. The program exposes students to the best in 20th century art, music, literature, film and thought in the sciences, social sciences and humanities. It is designed to help the future leaders to further develop the skills necessary to contribute to the sciences, culture and society.

More information about the program, including curriculum, speakers and films, may be found on the AGS website at:

www.hendrix.edu/ags/

While AGS requires academic work and intellectual challenge, it is also a great deal of fun. A full-time recreation director and social activities director are on site for the entire program to plan activities for students nearly every night of the week.

Contracted by the state for the sole use of the Governor's School students, all Hendrix facilities are available for the duration of the program, including the pool, weight room, student center, Mabee recreational complex, library and computer lab.

There have been over 7,400 alumni of this special, nationally recognized summer program, which generally has approximately 75 National Merit Semifinalists in attendance each summer.

For additional information you may contact Nancy Cockman, administrative assistant, Arkansas Governor's School, Hendrix College, 1600 Washington Ave., Conway, AR 72032.