Welcome Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston!

Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston was sworn into office on January 14, 2019, after serving eight years as Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands. He served as the chairman of the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council as well as president for the Western States Land Commissioners Association. Secretary Thurston was born in Little Rock, raised in Saline County and is a graduate of Sheridan High School. From there, he attended Henderson State University and is a graduate of Biblical Studies from Agape College in Little Rock. Secretary Thurston was a licensed minister as well as a certified religious assistant in the Arkansas State Prison System. He is an avid outdoorsman and currently resides in East End with his wife and their five children.

"Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. I plan to provide our local schools with every resource available to help teach these young Americans the importance of earning an education in order to fulfill their dreams."

-- Secretary of State John Thurston

Young Voter Workshop

For more information on how to be a part of the Young Voter Workshop, click the image above or contact Katie Bass, Education and Visitor Services Coordinator at (501) 682-5279.

Empowering young citizens— that's the mission of the Secretary of State's Young Voter Workshop. Hundreds of high school students from all around the state will participate again this year in the day-long programs which will be held on October 22, 23, and 24 this fall.
As one of our most popular student programs, Secretary Thurston and the Education Team considers informing voters and future voters as one of our most important responsibilities. We invite you and your high school students to join us!

Sounds of the Season 

It’s almost that wonderful time again! Each year, the Secretary of State invites musical groups (non-instrumental) from schools all over the state to perform at the Capitol during the Holiday Season, and you’re all invited! Be on the lookout for the official date and sign-up form in our next newsletter. If you or any other teachers/choir directors that you know of are interested pass the word along. We look forward to hearing and seeing you all!

The Education Team has multiple traveling presentations for students of all ages and grade levels. One of our skilled team members will come right to your classroom and teach your students using hands-on, cross-curricular methods on subjects such as State Symbols, How a Bill Becomes Law, the Arkansas Traveler, the difference between an author and an illustrator and how to make predictions about the story based on pictures in our "Little Golden Books" presentation! To learn more about the newest additions and updates to our presentations or to schedule a presentation, contact Katie Bass, Education and Visitor Services Coordinator.

Secretary of State's Office New Projects

Click the image above to take a look into the first six months of Secretary Thurston’s administration! This video highlights some of the office’s projects. 

Free Resources, Materials, and Programs

It is our hope that you all are having a wonderful school year thus far. Now that you are all settled in to your new classroom routine, we'd like to remind you about all of the free programs, materials, and resources that we have to assist you. Don't wait! Order your materials today. Click each image in this section to learn more about our offerings.

This book offers just a glimpse of the people who have shaped Arkansas, both as a territory and as a state. Here you will find information on every governor that has served in our state. There is much more to know about their fascinating stories. 

The Arkansas State Symbols book pairs perfectly with our State Symbols presentation. This book provides information about each state symbol along with coloring pages and even more facts about Arkansas!

Our self guided tour book is a great way to learn more about our capitol building and all of its amenities. This book includes history of the building, pictures, maps and even an audio version of the tour. Pick one up right at the tour desk when you visit the capitol,or you can print the PDF version from your computer.

Tours, Games & Activities 

There is never a bad time to throw in a little Arkansas History. Come visit the Capitol Building for a field trip. The Secretary of State's Office provides something for every age--Guided Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Self-Guided Grounds Tours, and even Scavenger Hunts! Click on the labeled images above to learn more. To schedule, call (501) 682-5080

Can't get to the Capitol Building this year? That's ok! Our website offers several different ways to learn about the state capitol and our great state of Arkansas right from your classroom. You can take your students on a Virtual Tour of the Capitol Building and Capitol Grounds. We also have new games, activities and Arkansas quizzes ready for you and your students to print and work on. Click the image above to access them. 

Click the image above to take a virtual tour of the Arkansas State Capitol Building!