Smithsonian Education

Learn how Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley's pioneering photomicrography revealed the intricate, unique patterns of over 5,000 snowflakes. ❄️ 📸

So grateful for this powerful partnership! “Young people become what they can see, and books are a powerful tool to inspire new passions and possibilities,” said Jane Rodgers, National Vice President & Partnerships & Growth Officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “We’re grateful to our partners at the NFL, Smithsonian and Prime Video for their shared commitment to ensuring Club kids across the country have access to these invaluable resources.” Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Football League (NFL) Smithsonian Education Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios

Very excited to have a quote featured in the Smithsonian Annual report, alongside two of my students, about our connection to the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC)!

Nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” the 6888th Central Postal Battalion was the only predominantly Black US. Women's Army Corps unit sent overseas during World War II. Their mission: process millions of pieces of backlogged mail for American military personnel and volunteers in Europe. Deployed to England in 1945, their motto was “No mail, low morale.” Despite facing racism and sexism at home and within the military, the battalion defied expectations. Led by Major Charity Adams, the women worked in three eight-hour shifts, seven days a week, hitting 65,000 processed pieces of mail per shift at their peak. Though many assumed the battalion would need half a year to clear the mountain of undelivered mail, the soldiers of the “Six Triple Eight” completed the task in just three months. By the war’s end, they had labeled, sorted, and cleared 17 million pieces of mail. Upon their return to the U.S. at the end of the war, the women received no public recognition for their service. Finally, nearly eight decades after their deployment, the 6888th Central Postal Battalion was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2022. 📷: Collection of our Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Jennifer Cain Bohrnstedt.

Smithsonian educators explain how Earth's 23.5-degree tilt and its heliocentric orbit create the unique seasonal patterns we experience, including the winter solstice on December 21st. 🌎 ☀️

Do you know a rising college sophomore, junior, or senior looking for a PAID summer internship? Please share the Smithsonian Leadership for Change Internship with them! Leadership for Change is an eight-week, paid program providing interns with meaningful and enriching experiences to strengthen their understanding of the role museums and arts and cultural organizations play in advocating for change in communities across the U.S. Interns become museum advocates and explore new ways to bring museum content, resources, and expertise to communities near and far. There are two summer internship opportunities in 2025: Smithsonian Affiliate Community or Washington, D.C. Summer projects will include learning experiences in one or more of these topic areas: Life on a Sustainable Planet, What it Means to Be American, and Magnifying the Transformative Power of Arts and Design. To qualify, students must be rising college sophomores, juniors, or seniors. Students do NOT need experience in museums or a major in the arts, history or other museum-related subjects to apply. Deadline to apply is February 28, 2025. More information and apply here- https://lnkd.in/eZbRWF-D

The Smithsonian Institution Annual Report, "Reaching Every Learner," is officially in print and viewable online. The report showcases education across the Smithsonian with stories from our experts, interns, and alumni, underscoring how lifelong learning is at the core of everything we do. "Reaching Every Learner" explores how we are engaging and inspiring learners in new and meaningful ways.  Read more here in the FY23 annual report: https://lnkd.in/exqSyPhJ #SmithsonianEdu

During the holidays, many come together to prepare traditional dishes, including tamales, as a holiday staple to share with friends and relatives. Tamales are beloved and essential to many U.S. Latino communities, and their variations can differ depending on regional influences. A traditional tamalada (tamal-making gathering) has deep roots in Mexican culture and has spread across borders, particularly to the U.S. Southwest. Some signature tamales of the region include green and red chile, beans, and even Tex-Mex with pork meat and barbecue sauce. In the United States, you may also find tamales with flavors from across Latin America, reflecting the cultural heritage of Latinos in the U.S. Some of them include "humitas" from the Andes, “paches" from eastern Guatemala—which are potato-based tamales—and Puerto Rican "pasteles," consisting of masa made from plantains and taro root, rather than corn. What kind of tamales is your family making this year? 🫔 Comment below! — Durante las fiestas, muchas personas se reúnen para preparar platos tradicionales, incluidos los tamales, como un alimento de las fiestas para compartir con amigos y familiares. Los tamales son preciados y esenciales para muchas comunidades latinas en los Estados Unidos, y sus variaciones pueden darse según las influencias regionales. Una tamalada tradicional tiene raíces profundas en la cultura mexicana y se ha extendido a través de las fronteras, en particular al suroeste de Estados Unidos. Algunos tamales característicos de la región incluyen chile rojo y verde, frijoles e incluso tex-mex con carne de cerdo y salsa de barbacoa. En Estados Unidos, también se pueden encontrar tamales con sabores de toda América Latina, lo que refleja la herencia cultural de los latinos en los Estados Unidos. Algunos de ellos incluyen las humitas de los Andes, paches del este de Guatemala, que son tamales a base de papa, y pasteles puertorriqueños, que consisten en masa hecha de plátanos y raíz de taro, en lugar de maíz. ¿Qué tipo de tamales vas a hacer este año con tu familia? 🫔 ¡Comenta a continuación!

Did you know that poinsettias are known by different names including “La Flor de Nochebuena?” The popular holiday plants are recognized for their striking red bracts or leaves, often mistaken for flower petals. While red is the most common color, poinsettias are available in a variety of shades, including pink, white, and varied patterns. The Aztecs called them Cuetlaxochitl, and they are referred to as la Corona de los Andes (Crown of the Andes) in Chile and Peru, while in Spain they are la Flor de Pascua (Easter Flowers). Poinsettias—scientifically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima—are native to Central America, particularly southern Mexico. They were introduced to the United States in the early 19th century by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico. An amateur botanist, Poinsett sent cuttings back to his home in South Carolina, and the plant was later named after him. Learn more about the plant in our Smithsonian Learning Lab collection: https://s.si.edu/3No1zGA. — ¿Sabías que las poinsettias se conocen por diferentes nombres, entre ellos “La Flor de Nochebuena”? Estas populares plantas navideñas son reconocidas por sus llamativas brácteas u hojas rojas, que a menudo se confunden con pétalos de flores. Si bien el rojo es el color más común, las poinsettias están disponibles en una variedad de tonos, que incluyen rosa, blanco y tonos variados. Los aztecas las llamaban Cuetlaxochitl y se les conoce como la Corona de los Andes en Chile y Perú, mientras que en España son la Flor de Pascua. Las poinsettias, conocidas científicamente como Euphorbia pulcherrima, son nativas de América Central, particularmente del sur de México. Fueron introducidas en los Estados Unidos a principios del siglo XIX por Joel Roberts Poinsett, el primer embajador de los Estados Unidos en México. Poinsett, un botánico aficionado, envió esquejes a su casa en Carolina del Sur y así la planta recibió más tarde su nombre. Conoce más sobre la planta en nuestra colección del Smithsonian Learning Lab: https://s.si.edu/3No1zGA.

As the winter holidays are fast approaching, we're revisiting 10 of our favorite family-friendly activities highlighted in this article from December 2022. Check out these innovative and inspired ideas to keep kids learning and engaged while home from school during winter break. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ekYtnyP5 #SmithsonianEdu