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

Most Americans visit the Smithsonian Institution a few times in their lives. A typical first visit might be as middle or high school student on a school trip or family vacation. Parents return often on a business trip, or to bring their families to explore the Washington, D.C. they experienced in school. Grandparents come back with their children and grandchildren to make new memories. Typically, it’s hard to explore everything in just a few visits, as the Smithsonian is America’s national treasure trove, the largest museum and research complex in the world. Its vast repository of specimens, artworks, historical artifacts, manuscripts, spacecraft and more, capture the nation’s stories and achievements in literally millions of ways. The mission of this 179-year-old institution has remained the same since its founding in 1846, existing for “the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” So yes, the Smithsonian is a must-see destination in Washington, D.C., with a panoply of museums, an annual Folklife Festival, and hundreds of events, concerts and activities.

But we invite you to consider the many ways that the Smithsonian realizes our mission beyond the nation’s capital, in ways accessible to all. Consider for a moment… the role the Smithsonian wants to play in American life. We strive to be a trusted partner in a lifelong learning journey, from serving preschoolers to seniors. We are a catalyst for discovery of new planets and new perspectives; a resource for educators in the classroom or in the field; and a scientific researcher from deep seas to deep space. Underlying this work is a deep commitment to collaborating with communities nationwide to listen, collect and share their American experiences. 

In the latest fall insert in USA Today titled, Our Shared Community: Capturing America’s Stories with the Smithsonian, we invite you on a road trip to learn about the myriad ways that the Smithsonian gathers insights, interest, and inspiration from Americans in every region, representing communities that are urban, rural and everything in-between.

On this journey, you’ll read about a Smithsonian observatory in the remote desert of Arizona, and the distant galaxies its scientists are discovering. (page 6) We invite you to operate a Smithsonian telescope remotely from your own computer and take images of the universe the way our astrophotographers do. In the online image directory, you can see what your fellow stargazers are noticing from their corners of the country.

The foods and sounds in American communities are unique in delicious and delightful ways. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings collaborates with artists across the nation to capture these sounds of place and time, such as A Field Guide to… Mississippi. (page 5) Yes, you’ll hear the blues, but you’ll also hear Margaret Walker’s poetry and the words of Civil Rights-era leaders to deepen your appreciation of the state’s richness, from its soil to its culture. We may know Texas for its chili or BBQ; in this travel guide, you’ll also learn how Asian American communities around Houston are sharing recipes From Place to Plate, creating dishes that reflect memory, tradition, and pride of place. (page 6) Maybe you’ll decide to try some bird-friendly coffee with that phirni pudding? (page 12)

The Smithsonian is also interested in meeting the other species sharing our country’s landscape. We’re tracking the activity of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay (page 2), and the wanderings of bobcats in Montana (page 8). We invite you to help us through participatory science opportunities and share your observations of what creatures live in your neighborhood. Explore using camera traps, or build a biocube for your backyard (page 12). You can peruse scientists’ field journals from our collections to compare with notes of your own, or help us transcribe a journal through our transcription center. (page 12)

Americans express themselves in so many ways, and the Smithsonian is proud to serve as a vehicle by which these voices travel across the country. In this Smithsonian travelogue, you can watch a teen in Missouri talk about how she's leading change in her hometown through a collaboration with 4-H and our Rural Initiative. (page 7) You can learn from a veteran in Kansas about lowrider culture, and how powerful “identity and community can be when they're rooted in tradition and creativity" through a Smithsonian traveling exhibition about this art form. (page 11) You can hear interviews with Alaska Native community members as they talk about the significance behind a home-made ceremonial parka made from seal intestines, on view at the Smithsonian's Arctic Studies Center. (page 11) You can hear from a Chicago grandmother how meaningful it is to make her family's traditional yeast roll recipes with her grandkids, saved through community curation with the National Museum of African American History and Culture. (page 9) These are the voices of fellow Americans that the Smithsonian strives to honor and amplify through exhibitions, websites, videos, programs, and in our collections, safeguarding them for future generations.

The American story is actually a compilation of millions of stories, creating an incredible mosaic across history, culture, art and scientific achievement. The Smithsonian is deeply committed to reflect this ongoing and ever-changing narrative of our country. We welcome all Americans to contribute their voices to its telling, wherever you are. We hope this guide reveals some of the ways we hope to meet you where you live, in our shared community.  

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Editor's Note: A digital version of "Our Shared Community: Capturing America's Stories" is now available for viewing and download via the Smithsonian Learning Lab and Flipsnack.

Jennifer Brundage | Read More

Jennifer Brundage is a Project Specialist in the Office of the Under Secretary for Education. There, she co-leads an outreach initiative to deepen the Smithsonian's collaborations with communities nationwide. Prior to this position, she served as a National Outreach Manager in Smithsonian Affiliations, and moved to Washington, D.C. after years as an educator at the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. She has a Master's degree in art and design history from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and a Certificate in Climate Education from Antioch University. Brundage originally hails from Colorado, and is passionate about travel, lifelong learning, and all things outdoors.