The Smithsonian Science Education Center in collaboration with Howard University received a Planning Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) and Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) (Grant Award #2040784) for the…

Students enter classrooms equipped with a rich foundation of skills and knowledge from their everyday experiences. High-quality science education builds on students' wealth of experience in making sense of the world. In science classrooms, "sensemaking" is a collaborative practice that includes students sharing initial ideas with peers…

The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) serves K-12 students and teachers, school districts, state education agencies, and ministries of education throughout the world with curriculum materials, digital resources, professional development, leadership development (through our Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform [LASER]…

Created in collaboration with the Zero Barriers in STEM Education Advisory Committee, the "Zero Barriers in STEM Education Accessibility and Inclusion Workbook" provides strategies on ways to integrate inclusive/Universal Design for Learning practices into the K-12 STEM classroom. Our goal is to empower teachers to structure lessons to…

The Smithsonian Science Education Center in partnership with Shell Oil Company convened a group of leading education organizations in Washington, D.C. on September 19-20, 2016, to share and discuss proven strategies that have improved the recruitment, retention and promotion of a diverse STEM teaching workforce. Specifically, the meeting was…

The LASER (Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform) model, developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC), is a systemic approach to transforming science education consisting of five elements: a research-based, inquiry-driven science curriculum; differentiated professional development; administrative and community…

The LASER (Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform) model, developed by the SSEC, is a systemic approach to transforming science education consisting of five elements: a research-based, inquiry-driven science curriculum; differentiated professional development; administrative and community support; materials support; and assessment.…

The LASER (Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform) model, developed by the SSEC, is a systemic approach to transforming science education consisting of five elements: a research-based, inquiry-driven science curriculum; differentiated professional development; administrative and community support; materials support; and assessment.…

The LASER (Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform) model, developed by the SSEC, is a systemic approach to transforming science education consisting of five elements: a research-based, inquiry-driven science curriculum; differentiated professional development; administrative and community support; materials support; and assessment.…

Science education has undergone extraordinary change in recent years. The Smithsonian Science Education Center has been producing world-class science curriculum for decades that integrates the arts, history, culture, and science of the Smithsonian. In the growing global marketplace, American students need to excel in science, technology,…