Arkansas Governor's School

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The Arkansas Governor's School is a six-week program offered to rising seniors in the state of Arkansas. The school, which typically accepts around 400 students, takes place on the grounds of Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. Modeled after the North Carolina Governor's School, it was founded by governor Bill Clinton in 1979. Because of its link to Clinton, in the 1992 presidential election, a film entitled The Guiding Hand was created as anti-Clinton propaganda. The film accused the school of brainwashing, saying that one girl had to be "deprogrammed" for two years. Also in the film is an unidentified student (the only person not to be identified) who makes several false claims about the school, such as claiming that there is a required course called "Views of Man," which was actually a course at Hendrix. The film is studied by AGS students and analyzed for fallacies.

Twice each week is a required speaker. Speakers at Governor's School have ranged from Rudy Giuliani, Michael Shermer, and Phyllis Schlafly to Temple Grandin and James Loewen. Once each week is a required film, the first of which is usually Koyaanisqatsi.

Curriculum at the school is broken up into three areas:

Area I, which is similar to a college major. Students choose from one of eight areas of study (English/Language Arts, Visual Arts, Choral Music, Instrumental Music, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social Science, and Drama).
Area II, also known as conceptual development, which focuses on epistemology. Many Area II teachers are (or were) philosophy majors.
Area III, which is also known as personal and social development. One topic largely stressed in Area III classes is the division of wealth.

There are two other "areas," Area IV and Area V. Area IV consists of the residential staff (Resident Assistants, or "RAs," as well as the Head Residents of the various dormitories), whereas Area V consists of the office staff.

The students are allowed to use much of Hendrix College campus. For example, they have open use of the swimming pools, gyms, tennis courts, racquetball courts, library, computer lab, and track.

The dorms for the students are Raney and Veasey Hall (during the renovation of Veasey, Hardin Hall was its substitute) for males and Couch and Martin Halls for females. The dorms are not co-ed; however, both genders are allowed in the lobbies in the dorms until they are required to check in at their dorms.