In an effort to encourage more young people to enjoy outdoor recreation, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday (Aug. 26) announced the launch of the My Natural State Story contest.

Kids between the ages of 10 and 17 can submit essays of up to 500 words about “real outdoor adventures” they experienced in Arkansas.

The goal, Sanders said, is to encourage an appreciation of the opportunities the state offers for activities such as hiking, biking, hunting and fishing while giving kids a break from their phones and other electronic devices.

“Our kids are far too often inside and alone, spending hours and hours in front of screens, consuming unhealthy and dangerous content,” Sanders said. “That’s bad for those kids’ physical health. It also has tragically led to skyrocketing rates of anxiety, suicide and depression.”

She touted efforts to expand access to outdoor recreation, which she said is the state’s second-largest industry and employs more than 72,000 people.

Sanders was joined for the announcement by Education Secretary Jacob Oliva, Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Shea Lewis and members of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Lewis said encouraging an appreciation of the outdoors at a young age is important to sustaining the state’s outdoor recreation industry and protecting its natural resources.

“We’re so fortunate to live in this beautiful state. We want people to be out and enjoy it, and it starts at a young age,” Lewis said.

He noted that many adults have specific childhood memories of things like playing in creeks and hiking on trails, experiences he hopes to foster in younger generations.

“Time outdoors supports kids’ physical, mental and overall well-being,” Lewis said. “Outdoor recreation is a growing and important part of the Arkansas economy. We want it to continue to grow.”

He said the state is investing in trails, parks, outdoor businesses and destinations, but infrastructure is only part of that effort.

“We also have to invest in the next generation of people who see and care for them,” he said.

Oliva said getting students outside can also provide educational opportunities while creating memories that will last long after they leave school.

“When they think about their childhood experiences, they’re never gonna think about what their score was on a spelling test, but they’re gonna remember the time the whole class got to go outside and go through the woods or swim across the stream and have a lot of fun,” Oliva said.

He said the Department of Education has been working with the Game and Fish Commission and Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism to find ways to create more outdoor experiences for students.

“At the end of the day, what we know in education is learning is social. It’s not done in isolation,” Oliva said. “And when we can break down the barriers and the walls of our classrooms and create learning experiences outside, it becomes pragmatic, it becomes real, and it’s something that’s gonna be a joy that’s remembered forever.”

The essay contest, he said, also gives students a chance to connect those experiences with literacy.

“We challenge our students to write about them, which is ultimately the highest form of comprehension when we look at promoting literacy,” Oliva said.

Submissions will be accepted through Oct. 12. Essays can be entered in seven categories: hunting, fishing, boating or paddling, climbing, cycling or mountain biking, camping, and hiking.

Students are asked to describe where their experience took place, what they did and why it mattered to them. Essays containing AI-generated text will be automatically disqualified.

The competition will be divided into two age groups, 10-13 and 14-17. A winner will be selected from each age group in each of the seven categories, for a total of 14 category winners. One student from each age group will also be named a My Natural State Story of the Year winner.

The winners and their families will be invited to a dinner at the governor’s mansion and receive prizes donated by Arkansas outdoor recreation businesses and organizations.

The two overall winners will receive Arkansas Game and Fish Commission lifetime hunting and fishing licenses along with a $500 gift and experience package from the Game and Fish Commission and the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.

Category prizes include a Banded prize package for hunting; a $1,000 PRADCO Fishing package for fishing; Arkansas Canoe Club equipment and river-school opportunities for boating and paddling; an Arkansas State Parks lodge stay and guided climbing experience for climbing; bike-related prizes for cycling; a State Parks camping stay and camping gear for camping; and Crater of Diamonds State Park admission and outdoor gear for hiking.