May & June in Review
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. Anne is shown here with Phurba Sherpa, founder of the Greater Himalayas Foundation, a non-profit organization created to honor the legacy of Mingma Norbu Sherpa, by continuing his conservation and humanitarian efforts in the Himalayas. Attendees of Anne’s talk also included SSEC staff who were joined by Under Secretary for Education, Dr. Monique Chism, and Myriam Springuel, Director of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services.
A Roundtable Across the Continent: SSEC Director, Dr. Carol O’Donnell, was invited by Washington State Senator Lisa Z. Wellman to lead a roundtable discussion with other Washington State education policymakers about the Smithsonian Science Education Center and the Smithsonian Science for the Classroom curriculum, as well as discuss the results from SSEC’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) efficacy study. Washington State has long been at the forefront of prioritizing STEM education that prepares students for jobs in any sector, and it has been a supporter of SSEC’s Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) program for over three decades. Senator Wellman is the chair of the Washington State Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee and a former tech executive.
Constitution Day! SSEC Director, Dr. Carol O’Donnell, was invited to the Constitution of Ukraine Celebration at Ukraine House. Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova and United States Attorney General Merrick Garland provided remarks. The Smithsonian Science Education Center is proud to have established a licensing agreement in March 2024 with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine permitting the Ministry to adopt Smithsonian Science for the Classroom curriculum for Ukranian’s 1.4M elementary school students.
Watch Dr. O’Donnell’s panel on Leapfrogging at the first annual Ukraine Innovation Days below!
Science and Education for Leapfrogging | Washington, DC, 2024 (youtube.com)
