How Arkansas Tech is Strengthening Arkansas Communities Through Emergency Preparedness Education
When most people think about emergency preparedness, they picture storm shelters and supplies tucked away until the next crisis. At Arkansas Tech University (ATU), emergency preparedness is being reimagined through a lens of curiosity and knowledge through experience.
Through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, ATU students and Arkansas River Valley locals learn disaster preparedness and response skills such as fire safety, light search & rescue, and disaster medical operations. With these skills, CERT members can assist emergency response agencies by taking more active roles in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
Introducing Students to Emergency Management
Aiming to educate and empower youth in emergency preparedness, ATU introduced the Youth Preparedness Camp, a summer multi-day training event that develops leadership and CERT skills for students in grades 6-12.
According to Dr. Bethany Swindell, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Coordinator for ATU’s Emergency Management & Homeland Security program, the camp was born from the idea of introducing emergency preparedness as an explorable, positive experience.
“When we talk about disasters with adults, we often focus on what could go wrong,” Dr. Swindell noted. “With kids, I wanted to flip that around and say, ‘What can YOU do?”
Rather than positioning young people as passive bystanders waiting for help, the program places them in the role of problem-solvers. Students are challenged to think like emergency managers, work through scenarios, and learn how individual actions can contribute to their community’s resilience.
“There are so many kids who are naturally curious about things like disasters, first responders, weather, search & rescue, and even the technology we use during emergencies,” Dr. Swindell mentioned. “The camp gives them a place to explore that curiosity.”
Building Emergency Skills Through Experience
A typical day at Youth Preparedness Camp looks very different from a traditional classroom. Students spend their time actively engaging with the skills they are learning, whether that means practicing water rescue techniques at the Aquatic Center, learning basic fire safety, operating drones, or participating in search-and-rescue exercises.
One of the camp’s most memorable activities takes place after dark.
Students work together during a nighttime search-and-rescue mission, relying on communication, teamwork, and critical thinking to locate a missing person when visibility is limited. The challenge feels like an adventure, but beneath the excitement are lessons that can translate into real-world situations.
“They might not even realize how much they’re learning because they’re too busy having a good time,” Dr. Swindell explained. “That’s really the goal: we want them to leave saying, ‘That was so much fun,’ while we know they also learned skills that could someday help them or someone else in a real emergency.”
From Students to Community Ambassadors
The Youth Preparedness Camp’s impact also extends beyond the students who participate. Dr. Swindell believes young people serve as powerful ambassadors for preparedness within their families and communities, becoming catalysts for an entire household.
“Kids are much more capable than we sometimes give them credit for,” she noted. “You teach one child how to be prepared, and there’s a pretty good chance they’re going home and telling their parents, their siblings, or grandparents everything they learned.”
Through interactive workshops and activities, campers gain valuable knowledge and skills to be better prepared for emergencies and become ambassadors of preparedness in their communities. Students begin to see themselves as active community members, capable of helping others and contributing during challenging circumstances.
“I want them to understand that they aren’t just victims waiting for someone else to come help,” Dr. Swindell explained. “They are part of their community, and they can be part of the response.”
That philosophy also reflects the broader mission of Arkansas Tech’s emergency preparedness programs, those open to youth of all ages and the broader Russellville community.
Connecting Campus Resources and Community Engagement
“ATU has a lot of opportunities for students who are interested in emergency preparedness, but we don’t keep those opportunities inside the university,” Dr. Swindell mentioned. “We work with schools and community partners to bring preparedness education directly to people.”
Through partnerships with schools and community organizations, ATU extends preparedness education far beyond campus. CERT training opportunities, community exercises, and hands-on learning experiences help individuals of all ages develop the skills needed to support their communities before, during, and after emergencies.
ATU training certifying Bentonville High School students as CERT Members
ATU’s emergency preparedness efforts demonstrate that resilience is built long before disaster strikes. Through its work with students, schools, and community partners, the university is empowering Arkansans to see themselves not as bystanders to a crisis, but as part of the response that helps communities recover and move forward.
The CERT program is a national program that trains individuals in basic disaster response and emergency preparedness for the hazards that may occur where they live. The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) provides access to state-wide CERT and other emergency preparedness.
Want to find out more about ATU’s free CERT training? Click here.
Interested in finding free CERT training or other emergency management programs near you? Find your local ADEM Area Coordinator here.
This article is part of the Engage Arkansas 2026 Civic Challenge. The Civic Challenge focuses on one vital impact area to showcase impactful stories statewide. In September, Engage Arkansas highlighted the importance of Disaster Preparedness, Resilience, & Response.
Larissa Agbor-Nkongho, 2026