SITES continues to work with America's Jazz Heritage ro cre- 

 ate innovative exhibitions and programs to explore the historical 

 and social impact of jazz music. Concerts and distance learning 

 programs were organized for the Duke Ellington Centennial. 



Smithsonian Office of Education 



Ann Bay, Director 



The Smithsonian Website targeted its national audience of 

 teachers and students through a new World Wide Web site 

 called Smithsonian Education. Developed and produced by 

 the Smithsonian Office of Education (SOE), Smithsonian 

 Education presents lesson plans and activities based on the 

 Institution's collections, exhibitions, and research. Key fea- 

 tures of the area include its organization by curriculum area 

 (arts, language arts, social studies, science); a guide to Smith- 

 sonian educational products and services; and an educator's 

 introduction to each Smithsonian museum. As it grows, the 

 site will add thematic study collections of Smithsonian arti- 

 facts and interpretive texts. 



The intellectual riches of the Institution support an inno- 

 vative arts and humanities curriculum in the Smithsonian 

 Museum Magnet Schools, operated by the District of Colum- 

 bia Public Schools in partnership with the Smithsonian Office 

 of Education. Through the magnet school program, students 

 develop oral, written, scientific, visual, and technological 

 skills as they observe, study, and discuss what they see and 

 experience at the Smithsonian. SOE marshals the resources of 

 the National Museum of American History, the National Postal 

 Museum, the National Museum of American Art, and the 

 Anacostia Museum to create a foundation for experiential 

 learning at the Institution and inside the classroom. Initial 

 evaluation of the program shows 95 percent regular atten- 

 dance and dramatic declines in discipline problems. Faculty 

 attribute this development to a positive change in students' 

 attitudes toward school and the increase in parental involve- 

 ment. The magnet schools are Robert Brent Elementary and 

 Stuart Hobson Middle Schools, located on Capitol Hill. 



A major event on teachers' calendars, Teachers' Night at 

 the Smithsonian, gives educators an overview of the exception- 

 al teaching resources available at the Smithsonian and several 

 other invited museums, historic sites, and cultural organiza- 

 tions. Teachers' Night, held at the National Air and Space 

 Museum and organized by the Smithsonian Office of Educa- 

 tion, features displays by all forty participating organizations; 

 workshops on how to teach with objects, collections, and 

 exhibitions; hands-on demonstrations of materials and online 

 services; thousands of copies of free materials for teachers to 

 take back to their schools; and museum staff members on 

 hand to answer questions and help plan field trips. Nearly 

 three thousand educators attended Teachers' Night 1996. 



In collaboration with other SI units, the Smithsonian 

 Office of Education presented several classes for area teachers 

 that showed how to incorporate Latino perspectives and 

 materials into the classroom. Participants explored universal 

 themes of immigration and ptacticed methods of examining 

 cultural identity using photography and primary sources such 

 as letters and documents. The seminars, which were supported 

 by funding from the Institution's Latino Pool, were the center- 

 piece of SOE's Summer Seminars program, which offers con- 

 tinuing education credits in Maryland, Virginia, and the 

 District of Columbia. 



Public-Private Partnerships 



The National Faculty/Smithsonian Institution program (TNF- 

 SI) unites teachers from around the nation with Smithsonian 

 staff and university faculty to develop new teaching approaches 

 and gain leadership skills. The TNF-SI aims to improve 

 teachers' mastery of their subjects. The program also empha- 

 sizes using material culture — objects, collections, and other 

 museum resources — in teaching. TNF-SI is a joint initiative 

 of the Smithsonian Office of Education and The National Facul- 

 ty, an independent, nonprofit organization funded by contribu- 

 tions from private corporations and foundations, federal and 

 state agencies, local school systems, and individuals. 



Office of Sponsored Projects 



Ardelle G. Foss, Director 



The Office of Sponsored Projects served Smirhsoman re- 

 searchers and scholars by supporting the work of approximate- 

 ly 135 principal investigators who submitted 208 new 

 proposals valued at $47-9 million and by negotiating and ac- 

 cepting for the Institution 194 grant and contract awards 

 valued at $17.5 million. 



Accessibility Program 



Janice Majewski, Smithsonian Accessibility Coordinator 



The Accessibility Program is a pan-Institutional resource for 

 Smithsonian units to ensure that the Smithsonian's programs 

 and facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. The 

 Program collaborates with all Smithsonian organizations to 

 improve access to existing resources, as well as to design each 

 new program, exhibition, publication, media presentation, 

 and building to be fully accessible to visitors and staff with 

 disabilities. The Program's activities this year show the range 

 of information and services it provides. 



At the request of the Provost, the Program convened an 

 oversight council to develop recommendations of Institutional 



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