Happy New Year from Our Director Dr. Carol O’Donnell 

Last month, the Smithsonian Science Education Center convened educators for the Objects of Inquiry: Using Smithsonian Collections and Resources in the STEM Classroom virtual workshop. We were excited to host an engaged group of educators from across multiple countries, for a day-long professional development workshop to learn how to use Smithsonian’s vast collections and resources in their classroom.

A Smithsonian intern explains the network dedicated to thinking differently about the future of education. 

SSEC’s 40th! On May 6, 2025, SSEC’s Lapp-Keiser Director, Dr. Carol O’Donnell, and colleagues celebrated 40 years of excellence in Science Education. The all-day extravaganza began at NMAAHC for an introductory morning of hands-on learning with close friends of the Center participating with staff as they engaged school groups in a set of SSEC hands-on learning experiments. This then spilled into a wonderfully warm afternoon of STEAM tours across the Smithsonian, with a huge thank you to NMNH and NZCBI for their expertise in leading the tours.

DC <> SxSW! Director Carol O’Donnell attended the annual South by Southwest Education Conference in Austin, Texas, and sat on a panel where she discussed to break down solutions on career-focused credentialing, K-12 STEM experiential learning, and partnerships that connect talent to opportunity.

Written by Kristine Novero McCaslin

Engaging lesson plans, assessment questions, hands-on activities, and lab experiments. These are the key components I consider when planning science lessons. But as I have evolved as a science teacher, I realized that culture is also an integral component in helping us understand and connect to the world around us. 

Sustainability Education at the Smithsonian National Education Summit! Dr. Carol O’Donnell, along with her collaborators Frank Niepold (NOAA) and Anita Krishnamurthi (Afterschool Alliance) held a session during the Smithsonian National Education Summit titled Educating for Sustainable Development: Teachers’ Perspectives.

Tales from the Himalayas: The Smithsonian Science Education Center hosted the Smithsonian Women’s Committee, which featured a presentation from former National Geographic photographer Anne Keiser. Anne shared the fascinating story of her personal relationship with Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first to summit Everest along with his climbing partner, Tenzing. Anne detailed how, after the historic summiting, Hilliary pledged his fame and years of his life to supporting the Sherpa population, without whom modern Everest expeditions would be impossible.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities: Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) Dr. Carol O’Donnell attended the annual meeting with Oak Ridge Associated Universities in Knoxville, TN. Her panel comments and talk drew on the Smithsonian-Gallup survey data “Educating for Sustainable Development: Perspectives of U.S. and Global Educators” and the work of the “Smithsonian Science for Global Goals” project to advance students future-ready skills and knowledge.