About Us

Smithsonian Scholars in the Schools is a public education project of The Smithsonian Associates, the cultural and educational outreach arm of the Smithsonian Institution. In fulfillment of the Smithsonian mission, “the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” the Scholars in the Schools program brings scholars from the Smithsonian research and curatorial staff into schools across the nation to work with students, teachers and the school community.

The goal of the project is to take the Institution’s world-renowned scholars and researchers out of “the nation’s attic” and into local communities, where they can share their knowledge and enthusiasm for learning with school children. Smithsonian Scholars in the Schools programs are tremendously successful and are enthusiastically received and warmly praised by local communities, educators and students.

In consultation with the local school district, scholars are selected who represent the diverse areas of research at the Institution and who have demonstrated their ability to speak to many different kinds of audiences. A few of the many topics available include:

• Marine Monsters, Real and Unreal, David Pawson, curator, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History.
• Corn is Who We Are: The Story of Pueblo Indian Food, Rayna Green, director, American Indian Program, National Museum of American History.
• Another Op’nin’, Another Show: The American Musical Theater, Dwight Bowers, historian, Division of Cultural History, National Museum of American History.
• The Fate of the Tropics, Michael Robinson, former director, National Zoological Park.

A typical Smithsonian Scholars in the Schools program brings three Smithsonian scholars to a host community for three days. Each scholar gives three talks a day, in some combination of large group and public presentations, classroom sessions, and teacher in-service workshops. The usual format is a presentation with visuals, with students sometimes participating in hands-on activities with the scholar. Instructions are provided for accessing additional information and resource bibliographies on the Smithsonian’s Website. Advance planning includes a site visit by a program coordinator to meet and work with local educators. These on-site visits are essential to plan programs that support the curriculum and to ensure smooth logistical operations.