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Smithsonian Education

Five educators standing on a beach in Alaska hold up crabs found during a Smithsonian Classroom Cultivation workshop. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III shakes hands with an educator at the 2025 Smithsonian National Education Summit.

2025 Smithsonian Education Impact Report Released

Newly released report shares insight into the programs and partnerships that link Smithsonian learning to communities, classrooms, and cultural institutions across the United States.

A sign says Registration and a group of people approach a table

An Educator's Guide to Attending the Upcoming Smithsonian Education Summit and Turning Inspiration into Impact

In summer 2026, the Smithsonian will host its sixth annual conference for educators. Local D.C. classroom teacher, Alejandro Diasgranados, shares his tips for how to prepare, insights on what to expect, and his approach for turning inspiration into real classroom impact.

Two teachers sit side by side pointing out details in a museum gallery

Immersive Workshop and Webinar Opportunities Offer Teachers a Summer of Learning Alongside the Smithsonian

Once the last bell rings this school year, teachers can select from a wide range of opportunities to continue to hone their craft with Smithsonian educators and peers across the arts, culture, history, and science

A group of teens stand in front of the Renwick Building for a group photo

How the Smithsonian and 4-H Collaborate to Elevate Youth Voices in the Heart of the Nation’s Capital and in Hometowns Across the Country

An in-depth look at how the Smithsonian and 4‑H partnership invites youth across the country into museums as learners, creators, and civic changemakers

A group of students in bright blue shirts gather around a statue of George Washington with a museum facilitator

Equipping Today's Teens with Strong Examples of Historic Changemakers

For several years, the Smithsonian and Boys & Girls Clubs of America have collaborated with teens to support learning opportunities that offer space to imagine change in their communities

A women stands at a podium in front of a bright blue background

2026 Smithsonian Education Awards Honor Educators and Partnerships Expanding Learning Nationwide

Through dedication, collaboration, and innovation, Smithsonian educators and teams bring world‑class learning to classrooms and communities across the country.

A group of workshop participants standing around a table listening to a curator discuss an artifact within Historic New England’s collection.

Implementing Smithsonian’s Creating Portraits of Community Framework with New England Educators

Using place-based learning, portrait analysis, and oral histories, Smithsonian teams up with Historic New England to inspire meaningful classroom experiences

Three women stand in a circle laughing and discussing printed handouts

2026 Summit Spotlights Civics Teaching through Connections to Art, Culture, History, and Science

The Smithsonian continues its 250th celebration of the nation with a free three-day Summit for educators featuring more than 40 sessions through virtual and in-person programming

Exhibition space featuring orchids

Learning from the Connective Power of Orchids

A horticulturist reflects on the new Smithsonian-U.S. Botanic Gardens collaborative exhibition as it connects stories, scholarship, and art to this extraordinary species

A group smile in front of the Great Refractor telescope

Youth Science Media Program Connects Experts and Students around Careers and the Cosmos

Boston-area students gained career mentors, transferrable media production skills, and behind-the-scenes experiences at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian they'll remember for a lifetime

Students are working on their laptops and tablets while a teacher looks over their shoulders

Free Digital Webinar Series Features Teaching Techniques and Resources for Celebrating America at 250

This school year, the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology launches a series to explore strategies for using digital museum resources at a milestone moment in American history

Multi-color newspapers with one folded and one spread out

A New Guide Chronicles American Stories, From Backyard Wonders to Distant Galaxies

The Smithsonian's latest collaboration with USA Today celebrates and shares community stories from across the country

People stand and listen to a speaker in a brightly lit museum room underneath a large gold art installation.

Smithsonian Program Connects Youth Across America Through Dialogue

Since September 2024, the Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange program has offered sets of paired classrooms across the country a key question to explore together: "How has your community played a role in 250 years of the American experience?"

10 museum and education professionals dressed in business attire smiling and standing in front of a multicolored backdrop that reads, “Two Mississippi Museums, Museum of Mississippi History, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum”.

Mississippi Museums and Education Organizations Showcase Pride and Resilience through Local Histories and Community Education Programs

The Smithsonian Regional Collaboratives team encountered a network of passionate people telling local stories and prioritizing community needs in a series of visits this summer

A group of children sit on the grass to read silently to themselves

Pep Rally Celebrates Literacy and a Lifelong Passion for Learning With Seattle Youth

Collaborating national organizations Amazon, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, NFL Inspire Change, and the Smithsonian have come together to encourage excitement around reading. Their latest event in Seattle provided over 1,250 books to youth and their Club libraries

eople stand near a mural by the artist Cita Sadeli, and listen to her talking about why and how she made the mural.

A Deep Dive Into D.C. Chinatown's History With Educators and Visitors

Museum educators from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center share reflections about the "Sightlines" exhibition and its unique approach to honing in on the power of place

Teacher with short brown hair and glasses, wearing a blue shirt is smiling and clapping

In Conversation With 2025 National Teacher of the Year Ashlie Crosson

Meet the 2025 National Teacher of the Year—Ashlie Crosson—an educator ensuring that students in her small hometown grow into lifelong learners who feel confident stepping into a world outside of the one they know

A woman reads with a young boy, the book says "wheelbarrow" in big letters

Embark on a Smithsonian Summer Reading Adventure

Smithsonian museum educators have curated a list of their top picks for summer reading to keep kids engaged and their imaginations active, including free online resources you can access and download today

Group of adults and middle school children standing and actively discussing a set pf printed pictures laid out on a central table.

Showcasing Digital Storytelling as a Tool for Active and Deep Learning

After almost a decade of hands-on workshops and ongoing research, educators share the power of digital storytelling as an approach that makes learning more personal, emotional, and impactful

A group of men and women are in an audience turning and talking to each other with smiles

2025 Summit Features Inspiring Keynotes, Deep-Dive Sessions and Hands-On Workshops for Educators

The Smithsonian returns with its 5th annual National Education Summit, a free three-day conference for educators preparing to teach the 250th anniversary of the nation

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