Smithsonian Resources

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO)
SAO is a research institute of the Smithsonian headquartered in Cambridge, MA, where it is joined with the Harvard College Observatory to form the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. More than 300 scientists at the Harvard – SAO are engaged in a broad program of research in astronomy, astrophysics, earth and space sciences and science education.

Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies
The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies serves as a gateway to the Institution's education resources. The Center promotes the understanding and use of museums through research, publishing, museum staff development programs and internship services for the institution. For more information, please visit these web sites:
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org
http://museumstudies.si.edu
http://intern.si.edu

Smithsonian Institution Libraries
The Smithsonian libraries offer researchers a vast resource for exhibitions and educational programs. The Libraries are uniquely positioned to help scholars and visitors understand the national collections at the Smithsonian in depth. The library also offers exhibitions and an online digital library.
http://www.sil.si.edu/
http://www.sil.si.edu/Exhibitions/index.htm

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) serves a national leader in research on linkages of land and water ecosystems in the coastal zone, and provides public information to meet critical environmental challenges. The center is currently researching wetlands, marine ecosystems and the effects of acid rain.

The National Museum of African Art
The museum offers professional development workshops for teachers and museum educators. Performances and themed tours through the museum's exhibitions are offered to school groups of all ages. Curriculum developed to interpret the collection is available as a teacher resource.

The National Air and Space Museum
The education department offers curriculum for teachers, tours, science demonstrations and learning labs in the both the museum on the National Mall and the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center in Virginia. Online resources include web activities focusing on science and space.

Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Schools and Scholars program at the museum offers art educators a host of resources ranging from ideas for classroom activity and teachers'guides that complement the collections and special exhibitions. A fellowship and internship program is also offered by the museum.

National Museum of American History, Behring Center
The museum's education and public programming departments offers a variety of materials for educators, ranging from online activities to exhibition teacher's manuals. Lesson plans address one or more of the historical thinking standards, the National History Content Standards, or the National Science Education Standards.

National Museum of American History's Archive Center
The collection at the Archives Center represents a broad look at American history highlighted by American sheet music, historic photographs and ephemera.

National Museum of the American Indian
The newest museum on the National Mall offers educators, students and families the opportunity to study the museum's Native American collections in depth through guided tours, activity rooms and teacher training programs. Programming events for the public include dance and cultural performances, storytelling and films about Native Americans.

Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum
Cooper-Hewitt's dynamic educational programs provide insights into the ways in which design shapes our lives every day. Audiences are engaged in the design process, often working closely with professional designers and resources. School programs are offered to grades K- 12.

Freer-Sackler Gallery of Art
The museum offers a wide variety of programs designed to foster better understanding of Asian art and culture. Public programs include films and performances of dance and music from across Asia, as well as scholarly lectures and demonstrations.

Hirshhorn Museum of Art
Educational workshops for teachers focus on the museum's permanent collection and special exhibitions Guided tours for museum educators are offered to teachers. Educators can schedule individual visits with the education department too explore specific curriculum areas of art education.

Smithsonian National Zoological Park
The national zoo provides leadership in conservation science. The zoo is dedicated to educating and inspiring diverse communities in the celebration, study, and protection of animals and their habitats. Living collections include two giant pandas and a panda cub; cheetahs, mammals and Asian elephants.

Natural Museum of Natural History
The museum offers both formal and informal educational programs to schools, universities, and the public at large through traditional and electronic means such as virtual fieldtrips, videoconferences, or websites. Supplementary science education programs for schools in the greater Washington D.C. region.

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
The Portrait Gallery has a variety of resources for school and community audiences that have been developed to complement the exhibitions.

The museum offers Gallery Educators as a new addition to the education department engaging visitors through the medium of portraiture.

Smithsonian National Postal Museum
The museum offers a variety of curriculum guides for educators accessible from the museum's web site. Internships are offered to students interested in working with a small professional museum staff on current projects in collections, curatorial, education, and exhibits.

Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute
The center was established to provide technical support to the Smithsonian museums in the analysis and conservation needs of the collections. The scope of conservation work done at the center has broadened to include work with the public in the following areas: curriculum-based professional training, special topic oriented courses and workshops, fellowships and internships, and public outreach.

The Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce (SMS)
The SMS is dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge in the marine sciences. The pursuit of research in marine science includes publications, school and public outreach programs. The station also provides training for the next generation of Smithsonian research scientists.

The Lemelson Center, National Museum of American History, Behring Center
The center's mission is to document, interpret, and disseminate information about invention and innovation. The centers educators have developed resources for teachers, parents, and students who want to explore the exciting world of invention. The Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation was founded in 1995.

National Science Resources Center (NSRC)
The Smithsonian and the National Academy of Sciences jointly operate the National Science Resources Center. The NSRC collects and publishes information about current science teaching resources, develops innovative curriculum materials and sponsors outreach activities and leadership institutes to stimulate and support science education reform.

Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Heritage
The center joins scholarship, community service and educational outreach to promote the understanding and continuity of diverse contemporary grassroots cultures. The annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival showcases the center's work each year on the national mall. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings produces award-winning educational and culturally significant music.

Smithsonian Latino Center
The Smithsonian Latino Center serves as a resource to Smithsonian museums in developing exhibits, programs and special events specific to the Latino community.