Summertime is here, and we’re big fans of keeping student’s minds engaged with cool activities and new experiences (like, for example, seeing the world!).  We talked to our friends at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. about what they are doing to help keep k... Read More

Every child is asked at some point in their young lives, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Many little boys and girls may say they want to be astronauts and go to space, or perhaps they voice that they want to fly airplanes. The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, […] Read More

Nisei Solders showed bravery and grace as part of the American armed forces in WWII – and have you ever heard of them? If not, you are not alone! This large group of World War II soldiers were largely unrecognized for a long time despite their courage and patriotism. Nisei is the term for the [&he... Read More

2018 was dubbed the Year of the Woman, and 2019 continues to spark dialogue surrounding women’s issues. The centennial anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States is on the horizon! Our friends at Smithsonian are celebrating these milestones with the Smithsonian American Women’s Histo... Read More

When people think of the Smithsonian, chances are they think of Washington, D.C. But did you know the Smithsonian has a facility in Panama? The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) was founded with the purpose of increasing and sharing knowledge about the past, present and future of tropic... Read More

If you saw a cast iron skillet in a museum display, would you be surprised? The most common objects can hold a deep cultural importance, which is why everyday items often appear in museums. So how do those everyday objects end up as part of a Smithsonian collection? Dr. Deborah Mack, Associate Direc... Read More

Music is a vital part of American history and culture, and the Smithsonian has deemed 2019 the “Year of Music,” with music programming happening daily across the institution – meaning 365 days of music! In a museum, we wondered how you share something as vibrant and sensory as music. And boy, ... Read More

With the holiday season upon us, toys are on the brains of children (and children at heart). This got us thinking about the incredible collection of toys at the Smithsonian Institution. From vintage to high-tech, these are the toys that rise above the holiday fervor and into history! We asked the fu... Read More

Did you know the Wright brothers’ airplane went to space? (Really! We’re not confused!) The Apollo 11 astronauts took a piece of the Wright Brothers’ airplane to the Moon in 1969! So why did they do this, and what was the meaning behind taking a piece of the plane from Kitty Hawk, North Caroli... Read More

Did you know Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit weighs 80 pounds and consists of 21 layers? The iconic suit first went on display in the Arts and Industries Building after it was given to the Smithsonian by NASA, and was later moved to the newly opened Air and Space Museum in 1976. Armstrong’s suit rema... Read More