Service to Arkansas

The Service to Arkansas Committee, consisting of faculty and staff from across the college and representing a variety of departments and outreach programs, advances the service to Arkansas priority and contributes to an environment that promotes transformative learning opportunities and meaningful partnerships in service to the state. The committee actively reviews and provides input on the action items related to the service to Arkansas priority. The members serve a two-year term that can be renewed. The Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs serves as the chair of the committee.

The members of the Service to Arkansas Committee are:

• Matt Ganio, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
• John Bacon, Executive Director, IMPACT Arkansas Principal Fellows Program
• Crystal Beshears, Assistant Director of Innovation, Office of Innovation for Education
• David Christian, Associate Professor, Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods
• Mike Daugherty, Distinguished Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
• Erin Howie Hickey, Associate Professor, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation
• Stephanie Hicks, Clinical Instructor, Department of Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy
• Michele Kilmer, Assistant Professor, Eleanor Mann School of Nursing
• Josh B. McGee, Associate Professor and Endowed Chair in Education Accountability and Transparency, Department of Education Reform
• Christine Ralston, Assistant Department Head, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
• Luzita Vela, Teaching Associate Professor and Director of Athletic Training, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation

The College of Education and Health Professions values high-impact experiential learning that allows students to engage in real-world settings and train alongside experienced professionals in schools, clinics, or hospitals. These hands-on experiences ensure that students become fully immersed in their learning while serving communities in Arkansas and are well-equipped for work after graduation.

Experiential Learning Funds support students’ experiences outside of the classroom anywhere in Arkansas. The funds are intended for groups or cohorts of students engaging in an experience or project together. Experiential Learning Funds help offset costs related to meals, transportation, lodging, and other expenses (e.g., posters, registration, and supplies). Experiential learning opportunities could be embedded in a course, practicum, or internship, but they also do not have to be connected to a specific course.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, six experiential learning proposals were funded to support students engaging in a range of activities, from attending the 2024 Education Innovation Rally sponsored by the Office of Innovation for Education to providing hearing and health screenings for children with hearing loss at SPARK Day hosted in partnership with Arkansas Hands and Voices. In the 2024-2025 academic year, 11 experiential learning proposals were funded, providing support for students to attend the Arkansas Department of Education Summit and to complete sports physicals for 120 student-athletes from Decatur Schools, among other significant learning experiences.

Proposals for Experiential Learning Funds are accepted on an ongoing basis and will only be accepted from college faculty and/or staff. To submit a request for Experiential Learning Funds, apply here.

The College of Education and Health Professions is committed to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship among future educators and healthcare professionals. Through coursework, interprofessional education modules, experiential learning, and/or interactive workshops, such as the Innovate for Healthcare and Education (I4HE) Academy, the college will prepare students who are equipped to identify innovative solutions to persistent challenges and transform systems, services, and organizations.

In Spring 2024, the college hosted its inaugural Innovate for Healthcare (I4H) Academy to inspire, train, and equip students with entrepreneurial skills and mindsets. Eleven faculty and clinicians and 24 students across all healthcare programs participated in this interactive one-day workshop, which featured Shark Tank-style student presentations focused on improving healthcare access in Arkansas and offered practical tools and resources.

In Spring 2025, I4H combined with I4E to host the Innovate for Healthcare and Education (I4HE) Academy. Ten faculty, three clinicians, and 13 students from across the college’s health and education programs attended the workshop. Participants heard from Cara Osborne, a local entrepreneur, and completed a hands-on experiential learning activity in which they devised solutions for an “Arkansan” facing a complex healthcare and education problem.

The Service to Arkansas Award recognizes a faculty or staff member, team, or unit that has demonstrated extraordinary care for Arkansas and Arkansans through their research, outreach, and/or educational activities. The award shines a light on the work that has made a sustained and meaningful impact and improved the lives of people and communities in Arkansas.

Early Care & Education Projects (ECEP) was recognized as the inaugural recipient of the 2024 Service to Arkansas Award. ECEP, an outreach unit in the college, has delivered professional development to early childhood educators in the state for over 30 years. Arkansas Teacher Corps (ATC) received the 2025 Service to Arkansas Award. ATC is a partnership between the University of Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Education, and Arkansas public school districts that aims to recruit, train, license, and support Arkansans as empowered teachers committed to excellence.

Nomination packets for the Service to Arkansas Award are due on March 15 of each year. Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged. The recipient(s) are recognized at the end-of-year college meeting. To submit a nomination, complete this form.

The College of Education and Health Professions works collaboratively with its community partners and clinical sites to provide experiential learning opportunities to our students, enhance the application of research and content-based knowledge, and gather feedback to address the priorities of these partners and communities.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, the Associate Dean for Administration reviewed and updated clinical placement and experiential learning agreement templates. A streamlined system for reviewing, managing, and storing all site agreements was designed and implemented in the Fall 2024 semester. An initial survey of the data revealed over 1,440 unique partnership agreements in place across the country. The Associate Dean for Administration and the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs will continue to collaborate with departments to ensure alignment with standard processes for managing and tracking site agreements.