Arkansas University and School District Launch Hydroponic Career Pathway
January 8, 2026 
Vegetables grown in a hydroponic farm. | N_Sakarin via Shutterstock
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and the Little Rock School District (LRSD) announced a new partnership in December 2025 to establish the Hydroponic Plant Systems Career Pathway at the Little Rock Southwest High School (LRSWHS).
Hydroponic Plant Systems Career Pathway Program Components
As reported by KATV Channel 8, the Hydroponic Plant Systems Career Pathway aims to help prepare Arkansas students for careers in agriculture and STEM through hands-on experience and education in hydroponics. Additionally, the system will introduce students to robotics and automation tools and leverage AI to analyze and optimize crop data and performance, respectively.
However, the focus pillar of the Hydroponic Plant Systems Career Pathway is its purported student-run agribusiness model, which will allow students to “produce, price, market, and distribute fresh foods grown on campus, ” according to UAPB, hastening workforce readiness while also “building financial literacy, leadership skills, and entrepreneurial capacity.”
Additional program components include:
- Agribusiness, data science, and leadership training
- Community engagement activities
- Industry tours and guest speakers
- Practicums at the UAPB Discovery Farm Educational Center
- Student internships
- Teacher externships