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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Three teenage students gathered by a microscope on a table, looking at an enlarged display on a monitor.
Department of

Education

Education
We are dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to better understand the natural world and our place in it, by instilling a sense of wonder and responsibility through exhibitions, programs, and online resources.
Five teenagers sitting around a table that is covered with paper. Some of the teens are holding magic markers. A disassembled cellphone is on the table and there is writing on the paper near the cellphone parts.

School Programs

We offer in-person and online school programs aligned with standards for Grades K to 12.

Graphic: Red and white isometric flag. Text: Smithsonian National Education Summit, July 15 to 17, 2025. Online and in Washington, D.C. One nation, indivisible.

Education Summit 

Free registration is now open for the 2025 Smithsonian National Education Summit! Join us online or in-person in D.C. for over 40 sessions designed to prepare educators for the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Geologist Elizabeth Cottrell gestures with her hands while sitting at a table talking to two students.

Teaching Resources

Featuring more than 300 options, our collection includes activities, videos, and science literacy resources for Grades K to 12.

Type a keyword or term, then hit "Enter" to search more than 300 resources for students in Grades K-12.

Highlighted Resources

Five women standing in front of a bookcase and a salmon-colored wall with walrus tusks displayed on it. The woman in the middle is U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski.
Article: Arctic Lands and Peoples
A medium-skin-toned man looking down at two small, green baby animals he is holding.
Scientist Spotlight Videos
Red, gold, and black cape made from Hawaiian bird feathers
Featured Collections
Geologist Ben Andrews and Maggy Benson at a table doing a demonstration with a tray of dry ice while wearing protective glasses.
Smithsonian Science How Webcast Archives
Image of two hands and a fieldbook while a drawing is being drawn onto the fieldbook
¡Descubre la Historia Natural!
Color illustrations of a humpback whale, a clouded leopard, and a barred owl. Below the animals are small black and white drawings of an apple, a glass, lovebirds, and a house.
Video: Explore Animal Adaptations
Two women in winter coats standing in a field of reddish-brown grass with a rainbow behind them. They are holding bundles of the reddish-brown grass.

Community Education

We are working with educators and students in Alaska and Washington, D.C., to promote community approaches to science education and learning. (Link goes to Smithsonian Magazine.)

A person sitting at a table with one hand on a laptop keyboard. The laptop screen is displaying a dinosaur skull.

Distance Learning

Access the digital education resources from Smithsonian, including Learning Lab, resources for District of Columbia Public Schools, and national resources. (Link goes to the Learning Lab website.)