Smithsonian Education

Smithsonian educators share details of the Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange program, which connects classrooms from across the country. Sharing stories and perspectives allows students to develop a deeper appreciation of themselves, their communities and their roles within the broader American narrative.

Read more via SmartBrief for Education to learn how to participate or adapt the program for your own classroom: https://www.smartbrief.com/original/how-the-smithsonian-connects-classrooms-bridging-distances-across-america

How the Smithsonian connects classrooms, bridging distances across America - SmartBrief Ali McKersie and Jared Morris of the Smithsonian share details of the Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange program — and how teachers can adapt it for their classrooms.

We invite youth ages 14-19 to explore how we can mitigate human impacts on the atmosphere in collaboration with fellow students around the world!

Guided by Smithsonian educators, the Collaborative Action Research Project is based on the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals guide "Climate Action! How can we mitigate human impacts on the atmosphere?"

In this free program, students form youth research teams to create an action-project video. This video will be showcased in April 2025, where students will share their work and receive feedback from experts, educators, and peers! Together, these themes help prepare youth to take action towards a sustainable future for the planet.

Key Details:

✅ Eligibility: High school/secondary students ages 14-19 proficient in both written and spoken English

📆 Commitment: February 4, 2025 – April 29, 2025, with weekly sessions on Tuesdays from 10-11 AM Eastern

➡️ Apply by January 26, 2025 here: s.si.edu/CARP-CA

Benefits include meeting STEM experts, working with youth across the globe, gaining knowledge about science, sustainability, and social issues, plus receiving a certificate of participation from the Smithsonian!

🔗 Additional Information:

This program is a part of the Network for Emergent Socio-Scientific Thinking (NESST). Learn more: ssec.si.edu/nesst

Explore the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals guide on Climate Action: ssec.si.edu/climate-action

In Popular Science’s “Ask Us Anything" series, a reader asks, "Does the Sun make noise?"

The basic answer is no, not for us, but Shauna Edson, an astronomy educator at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution explains her thinking on the topic with a practical simulation involving a row of beach balls and a reminder of how humans like to make sense of their environment. Read more here: https://www.popsci.com/science/does-the-sun-make-noise/

Does the Sun make noise? In space, no one can hear you beam.

In 2025, we'll have more free conferences, professional development, new resources, and interactive programs for students!

Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about K-12 STEM education opportunities: s.si.edu/NewsletterSSEC

Shop the National Mall: 5 fantastic museum stores and the best gifts to buy there ‘Tis the season for buying presents. But more and more, people are thinking about who they’re buying from and who those purchases support. Before you go to the shopping mall, how about a trip to the National Mall? Gift shops at Smithsonian museums are packed with classic gifts like jewelry, orna...

Science on Wheels: The Little Bus That Could Thanks to funding from the Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative, the Q?Bus mobile classroom is back – and with a bigger impact than ever before.

Environmental Justice Academy Educates and Inspires Youth for Innovative Change The Environmental Justice Academy, which receives funding administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, gives students and staff an opportunity to identify and explore issues of environmental inequity impacting their communities.

Want to spend two weeks next summer in Washington, DC, with the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution exploring the connections between informal STEAM education and authentic learning?

The museum's free Teacher Innovator Institute for middle school (grades 5-8) STEAM teachers is now accepting applications. Learn more about this opportunity at a virtual info session on December 15 at 8:30 pm ET: https://s.si.edu/4f5mtFl

What do spikey porcupine quills have in common with super soft chinchilla fur?

Find out by joining the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 2p.m. ET for this month's live virtual Conservation Classroom program. K-5 students will explore how unique adaptations help different animals survive in the wild.

Register for free at https://s.si.edu/4gabFHb

What is a slow loris and how do they protect themselves?

Find out by joining the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 2p.m. ET for this month's live virtual Conservation Classroom program. K-5 students will explore how unique adaptations help different animals survive in the wild.

Register for free at https://s.si.edu/4gabFHb

The most recent issue from National Art Education Association's Viewfinder spotlights "Co-Creation in Museum Education Practice," with an article by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center educator Mia Cariello, alongside collaborators Cathlin Goulding, Freda Lin, Annie Nguyen, and Leila Grace Pandy.

This article highlights art-making as a co-creation activity that builds upon concepts of cultural identity and belonging through museum education practice. Read more here: https://medium.com/viewfinder-reflecting-on-museum-education/letter-from-the-editors-issue-19-co-creation-in-museum-education-practice-5b303c9a4955

📸: Matthew Gaston giving a tour of Taniguchi’s garden to high school students in Annie Nguyen’s Asian Americans Studies Class (2024). (Photo by Annie Nguyen)

📚🤩 Looking for new additions to your bookshelf, or the "to-be-read" pile on your nightstand this year?

Smithsonian staff pick their favorite reads of 2024, including riveting memoirs, fascinating true histories and fun fiction. Take a peek at the list and see what National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution educator Ann Caspari recommends for the elementary school child in your life.

Read more here, via Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-best-books-of-2024-as-chosen-by-smithsonian-scholars-180985583/

The Best Books of 2024, as Chosen by Smithsonian Scholars Staff at the Institution pick their favorite reads of the year, including riveting memoirs, fascinating true histories and fun fiction