Smithsonian 

Diversity and Inclusion 

Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

Overview 3

Executive Summary 4

Secretary 12

Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 12

Under Secretary for Finance & Administration/Chief Financial Officer 21

Accessibility Program 21

Office of the Chief Information Officer 23

Office of Sponsored Projects 23

Provost/Under Secretary for Museums & Research 23

Archives of American Art 23

Anacostia Community Museum 35

Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum 36

Freer - Sackler Galleries of Art 38

National Air and Space Museum 43

National Museum of American History 46

National Museum of Natural History 58

National Portrait Gallery 69

Office of Fellowships & Internships 72

Smithsonian American Art Museum 76

Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access 96

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 99

Smithsonian Institution Libraries 100

Smithsonian Traveling Exhibitions 102

Smithsonian Science Education Center 110

The Smithsonian Associates 120

Assistant Secretary for Advancement 131

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 2
Diversity and inclusion are integral to all aspects of the Smithsonian Institution's operations and key components of the Smithsonian 

Strategic Plan. OEEMA developed and published the Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report (DIIR) in an effort to capture and report on the 

multiplicity of diversity and inclusion related activities around the Institution. The data for this report was drawn from a SharePoint website 

that allowed units to submit any and all efforts they felt met the criteria of a diversity and inclusion initiative. To help units identify what can 

be included in this report, units were encouraged to consider programs, activities, recruitment, and outreach efforts that fall under the 

following three categories:

• Program Diversity

• Supplier Diversity

• Workforce Diversity

This report contains more than 530 entries from 20 Smithsonian units. While the Executive Summary is only 11 pages, the entire report 

consists of 123 pages of tables and text. For quick access to your unit’s information, please reference the table of contents.

The Report demonstrates the Smithsonian’s ongoing commitment to reflect the nation’s pluralism in its workforce, programming and

business relationships.

The OEEMA staff expresses their appreciation to all the units who participated in the development of this report and for their support of 

diversity and inclusion in all of the Smithsonian’s operations.

OVERVIEW

Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 3
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ALL SMITHSONIAN

The goal was to increase the recognition of the Smithsonian brand to under-served communities and increase representation in the Smithsonian’s workforce, supplier base and public programming. 

More than 530 initiatives were submitted by 20 Smithsonian units with 121 classified as STEM initiatives. All historically underrepresented groups were represented in the diversity and inclusion 

initiatives. The highest percent of initiatives (23% and 16% respectively) targeted African Americans and Hispanics. The percentage of initiatives aimed at historically underrepresented groups 

greatly exceeded their representation in the Civilian Labor Force. This report also includes residents of under-resourced communities. While this group and others have no recognized percentage of 

reference, they are an important focus in the Smithsonian’s efforts to increase and diffuse knowledge across the United States and around the world.

23%

14%

16% 12%

10%

10%

10% 5%

Percent Served by Race and Ethnicity

(Units often target more than one group)

African Americans (306)

Asian Americans (192)

Hispanics (216)

Individuals w/Disabilities (164)

Native Americans (132)

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (127)

Residents of Under-Resourced Communities* (135)

Other ** (62)

*Communities with limited and/or under-funded access to educational resources and technology.

**Includes: LGBTQIA+ Community, Women, Veterans, Non-English Speaking Communities, Arab Americans, Newly Immigrated 

Citizens, Temporary Residents without Work Visas, Self-Taught, Panamanian Students, White, Italian

Secretary Provost USFA/CFO ASA

# of Initiatives 34 473 15 12

# of STEM 6 112 1 2

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Initiatives by Direct Report

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 4
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ALL SMITHSONIAN (CONT.)

Diversity and inclusion are categorized into three areas: Program, Supplier and Workforce Diversity. All three categories were represented. At 74%, program diversity was the largest category. 

While only 3% of the reported initiatives fell under supplier diversity, the Smithsonian exceeded 4 of 6 of its established supplier diversity goals*. Of the 38% awarded to small businesses, 3% was 

awarded to 8(a) small disadvantaged businesses, 14% was awarded to non-8(a) small disadvantaged businesses, and 15% was awarded to women-owned small businesses. The majority of 

initiatives targeted adults (31%). 

74%

3%

23%

Initiatives by Category

(Units often choose more than one category)

Program Diversity (443)

Supplier Diversity (19)

Workforce Diversity (141)

13%

11%

12%

10% 16%

7%

31%

Audience Age Groups

(Units often target more than one group)

Elementary School (K - 5th Grade)

Middle School (5th - 8th Grade)

High School (9th - 12th Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for Adults

*The Smithsonian achieved 4 out of 6 goals when not including the NASM Revitalization Project. 

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 5
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

More than 30 initiatives were submitted by OEEMA. Six were STEM initiatives. All three categories were represented. All historically underrepresented groups were represented at a rate that 

either met or exceeded their percentage in the Civilian Labor Force. The highest percent (16%) were geared towards African Americans, Hispanics, and Individuals with Disabilities. At 49%, 

workforce diversity was the largest category. The majority of initiatives targeted adults (33%).

*Communities with limited and/or under-funded access to educational resources and technology.

**Includes: LGBTQIA+ Community and Women

16%

15%

16% 16%

12%

13%

7%

5%

Percent Served by Race and Ethnicity

(Units often target more than one group)

African Americans (31)

Asian Americans (29)

Hispanics (30)

Individuals w/Disabilities (30)

Native Americans (24)

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (24)

Residents of Under-Resourced Communities* (13)

Other ** (10)

26%

25%

49%

Initiatives by Category

(Units often choose more than one category)

Program Diversity (14)

Supplier Diversity (13)

Workforce Diversity (26)

2% 3%

10%

16%

18% 18%

33%

Audience Age Groups

(Units often target more than one group)

Elementary School (K - 5th Grade)

Middle School (5th - 8th Grade)

High School (9th - 12th Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 6
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

UNDER SECRETARY FOR FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Fifteen initiatives were submitted the Accessibility Program Office of Sponsored Projects, with one a STEM initiative. All historically underrepresented groups were represented at a rate that either 

met or exceeded their percentage in the Civilian Labor Force. The highest percent (29%) of initiatives were geared towards Individuals with Disabilities. 

* Communities with limited and/or under-funded access to educational resources and technology.

** Includes: Italian, White

18%

11%

14%

3% 29%

4%

7%

14%

Percent Served by Race and Ethnicity

(Units often target more than one group)

African Americans (5)

Asian Americans (3)

Hispanics (4)

Individuals w/Disabilities (8)

Native Americans (1)

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (1)

Residents of Under-Resourced Communities* (2)

Other ** (4)

AP OCIO OSP

# of Initiatives 7 1 7

STEM 0 1 0

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Initiatives by Unit

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 7
UNDER SECRETARY FOR FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (CONT.)

Both program and workforce diversity were represented. At 82%, program diversity was the largest category. While none of the reported initiatives fell under supplier diversity, the USFA/CFO 

exceeded 4 of 6 supplier diversity goals*. Of the 37% awarded to small businesses, 4% was awarded to 8(a) small and disadvantaged businesses, 14% was awarded to non-8(a) small and 

disadvantaged businesses, and 13% was awarded to women-owned small businesses. The majority of initiatives targeted college/university students and adults (34%). 

Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

82%

18%

Initiatives by Category

(Units often choose more than one category)

Program Diversity (12)

Workforce Diversity (10)

4%

4%

27%

34%

4%

4%

23%

Audience Age Group

(Units often choose more than one group)

Elementary School (K - 5th Grade)

Middle School (5th - 8th Grade)

High School (9th - 12th Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for Adults

*USFA achieved 4 out of 6 goals when not including the NASM Revitalization Project. 

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 8
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PROVOST/UNDER SECRETARY FOR MUSEUMS & RESEARCH

More than 470 initiatives were submitted by 16 Provost units (AAA, ACM, CHNDM, FSG, NASM, NMAH, NMNH, NPG, OFI, SAAM, SCLDA, SERC, SIL, SITES, SSEC, and TSA). One hundred twelve were 

STEM initiatives. All historically underrepresented groups were represented at a rate that either met or exceeded their percentage in the Civilian Labor Force. The highest percent (25%) of 

initiatives were geared towards African Americans. 

AAA ACM CHND

M

FSG NASM NMAH NMNH NPG OFI SAAM SCLDA SERC SIL SITES SSEC TSA

# of Initiatives 37 3 15 38 15 42 58 15 20 128 12 2 12 19 24 33

# of STEM 2 1 6 3 11 8 19 5 6 1 10 2 5 4 24 5

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Initiatives by Unit

* Communities with limited and/or under-funded access to educational resources and technology.

** Includes: LBGTQIA+ Community, Women, Non-English Speaking Communities, Arab Americans, Newly 

Immigrated Citizens, Temporary Residents without Work Visas, Self-Taught, Panamanian Students

25%

15%

17%

12%

10%

6%

10% 5%

Percent Served by Race and Ethnicity

(Units often target more than one group)

African Americans (260)

Asian Americans (157)

Hispanics (2174)

Individuals w/Disabilities (121)

Native Americans (101)

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (62)

Residents of Under-Resourced Communities* (105)

Other ** (46)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 9
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PROVOST/UNDER SECRETARY FOR MUSEUMS & RESEARCH (CONT.)

All three categories were represented. At 77% program diversity was the largest category. While only 3% of reported initiatives fell under supplier diversity, the Provost exceeded 4 of 6 supplier 

diversity goals. Of the 46% awarded to small businesses, 7% was awarded to 8(a) small disadvantaged businesses, 21% was awarded to non-8(a) small disadvantaged businesses, and 11% was 

awarded to women-owned small businesses. The majority of initiatives targeted adults (31%). 

77%

3% 20%

Initiatives by Category

(Units often choose more than one category)

Program Diversity (405)

Supplier Diversity (5)

Workforce Diversity (107

14%

12%

12%

9% 15%

7%

31%

Audience Age Group

(Units often target more than one group)

Elementary School (K - 5th Grade)

Middle School (5th - 8th Grade)

High School (9th - 12th Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for Adults

*Provost achieved 4 out of 6 goals when not including the NASM Revitalization Project. 

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 10
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report

Fiscal Year 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ADVANCEMENT

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Advancement submitted 12 initiatives. Two were STEM. All historically underrepresented groups were represented at a rate that either met or exceeded 

their percentage in the Civilian Labor Force. The highest percent (16%) of initiatives were geared towards African Americans and Asian Americans. All three categories were represented. At 57%, 

workforce diversity was the largest category. The majority of initiatives targeted college/university adults (40%).

* Communities with limited and/or under-funded access to educational resources and technology.

** Includes: Women

16%

16%

14%

9%

17%

12%

9% 7%

Percent Served by Race and Ethnicity

(Units often target more than one group)

African Americans (9)

Asian Americans (9)

Hispanics (8)

Individuals w/Disabilities (5)

Native Americans (10)

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (7)

Residents of Under-Resourced Communities* (5)

Other ** (4)

57%

7%

36%

Initiatives by Category

(Units often choose more than one category)

Program Diversity (8)

Supplier Diversity (1)

Workforce Diversity (5)

20%

20%

20%

40%

Audience Age Groups

(Units often target more than one group)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs 11
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA BELT Training for 

OPS Officers

Provided POWH training to incoming OPS officers at Pennsy MD 

facility to ensure they are aware of their rights and responsibilities 

as it relates to EEO

FY 2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Training

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

CAREERS & the 

disABLED Career 

Expo

Participated, along with staff from AP, OHR and OFI, in the 

CAREERS & the disABLED Career Expo. This pan-institutional 

outreach effort reached over 100 individuals with a disability. The 

Institution shared information regarding Schedule A hiring and 

Reasonable Accommodation practices. This resulted in numerous 

individuals with disabilities learning the Smithsonian is a place 

where they too can succeed and find careers or academic 

appointments.

11/16/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Career Fairs

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

Member of 

Academic 

Appointment 

Diversity and 

Publicity Taskforce 

(AADAPT)

As a member of AADAPT, OEEMA is dedicated to increasing 

diversity in all forms including but not limited to gender, 

race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, age, ability, and sexual 

orientation in Smithsonian Institution’s internships and 

fellowships. AADAPT’s pan-institutional team meets monthly. 

Members regularly participate in outreach events such as affinitygroup conferences and internship/career fairs in Washington, DC 

and around the country to promote SI academic programs to 

diverse audiences.

FY 2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

LGBTQIA+ Community

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Career Counseling

Career Fairs

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Internships

Recruitment

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

2018 PostCollegiate Seminar 

for Young 

Ambassadors 

Program (YAP)

OEEMA SEPM led a panel discussion on Jumping into the 

Workplace and Leveraging Affinity and Employee Resource Groups 

to promote equity, leadership, and networking 11/17/2018 Completed Hispanics No Career CounselingEducation

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

12
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA

Addressing Equal 

A ccess and 

Discrimination

OEEMA hosted a delegation from Bulgaria under the auspices of 

the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership 

Program (IVLP), with the subject of Addressing Equal A ccess and 

Discrimination. The representatives from Bulgaria were from the 

Commission for Protection against Discrimination, which is a 

national independent quasi‐judicial entity with direct oversight of 

discrimination cases. It has the authority to review complaints of 

discrimination practices and impose pecuniary sanctions on 

violators. During their visit with the Smithsonian, the Commission 

met with Mr. Shahin Nemazee, Special Emphasis Program 

Manager in OEEMA. Mr. Nemazee spoke about and provided 

information on the Smithsonian’s EEO, diversity and inclusion 

programs, policies and procedures. The commission was especially 

interested in how Federal Agencies accommodate individuals with 

disabilities, processes discrimination complaints and how the 

Smithsonian works to prevent harassment through training and 

resources such as the Anti-Harassment program and Employee 

Assistance Program.

10/16/2018 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

National Science 

Foundation (NSF) 

Committee on 

Equal 

Opportunities in 

Science and 

Engineering

OEEMA represented the Smithsonian at NSF's Committee on Equal 

Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) and presents 

information regarding SI’s STEM related educational programs and 

initiatives to the committee. Participation is met with high praise 

and the Institution was commended by NSF for its efforts to 

further STEM education to underrepresented groups

FY 2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Education

Education Diversity 

Committee 

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

13
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA Diversity Showcase

OEEMA continues the initiative entitled the “Diversity Showcase” 

that can be found on OEEMA’s internal website. Each quarter, 

OEEMA highlights initiatives that showcase the Smithsonian’s 

dedication to promote diversity and inclusion Institution-wide, as 

well as, across the Nation and globally. We hope that you find 

these initiatives informative, educational, and inspiring.

FY 2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Training

Education

Program 

Diversity

Supplier 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA Affinity Group 

Council

OEEMA sits on Affinity Group Council made up of the Chairs of SI's 

Affinity Groups. Council meets to discuss outreach initiatives and 

diversity / inclusion related topics. The goal is to maximize 

collaboration. 

FY 2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

LGBTQIA+ Community 

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Employee Affinity 

Groups

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

Operation 

Warfighter 

Education and 

Employment 

Internship/Career 

Fair 

Operation Warfighter (OWF) is a Department of Defense 

internship program that matches qualified wounded, ill and 

injured Service members with non-funded federal internships in 

order for them to gain valuable work experience during their 

recovery and rehabilitation. This process assists with the Service 

members’ reintegration to duty, or transition into the civilian work 

environment where they are able to employ their newly acquired 

skills in a non-military work setting. 

FY 2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Career Counseling

Career Fairs

Internships

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA POWH Training 

Wilson Center Staff Provided POWH training for Wilson Center Staff 6/6/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Training

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

14
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA Unconscious Bias 

Discussion 

In collaboration with EAP and SI Ombuds, facilitated a discussion 

about unconscious biases and micro inequities for OUSFA 

managers and F&A employees and managers . Discussion was met 

with positivity and fostered great discussion on the topic. 

FY 2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

LGBTQIA+ Community

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Education Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA Capital PRIDE! 

Festival

The Smithsonian maintained its presence at Pride as exhibitors at 

the Capital Pride Festival. Employees and affiliated staff from 

several units reached out to thousands of attendees and echoed 

the Institution’s commitment to equal opportunity, diversity and 

inclusion. Organized by the Office of Equal Employment and 

Minority Affairs, the Institution’s participation in the Festival was a 

valuable opportunity for individuals throughout the Institution to 

come together, collaborate, and celebrate Pride. The Smithsonian 

provided festival attendees from all over the country and world 

with information on our programs, collections, jobs, and academic 

appointment opportunities.

6/9/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

LGBTQIA+ Community

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Public Programming

Recruitment

Outreach

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

Eleanor Holmes 

Norton Annual Job 

Fair

OEEMA participated in the Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes 

Norton Annual Job Fair. Representatives from OEEMA, OGR and 

the Zoo shared information about the Institution’s career, 

volunteer and academic appointment opportunities with hundreds 

of local DC residents. The Institution was thrilled to meet with so 

many talented individuals from diverse backgrounds and share our 

opportunities.

8/1/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

LGBTQIA+ Community

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Career Counseling

Career Fairs

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

15
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA

Office of 

Advancement 

Diversity & 

Inclusion Panel 

Discussion

OEEMA participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Office of 

Advancement to discuss perspectives in SI's world of EEO, diversity 

and inclusion. 

5/16/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

LGBTQIA+ Community

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Panel discussion

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA POWH Training for 

NASM Suitland

Provided onsite POWH session for NASM Suitland staff to ensure 

compliance with SI mandated EEO training requirements 10/15/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Training

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

POWH HAZY 

Explainers Provided POWH session to HAZY Explainer Staff 4/6/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

No Training

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Secretary OEEMA

POWH Hazy 

Explainer Program 

Staff

Provided POWH session to NASM Explainers at Hazy Center. 9/14/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

No Training

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Secretary OEEMA

POWH Session 

NASM (Mall 

location) 

Provided POWH session for NASM Explainer staff 4/27/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

No Training

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

16
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA

POWH NASM 

Explainer Staff 

(Mall)

Provided POWH session for Explainer staff. 8/13/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Training

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Secretary OEEMA POWH at CHM and 

NMAI in NYC

OEEMA provided requested in-person POWH sessions for CHM 

and NMAI staff located in New York City. 5/1/2019 - 5/3/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

No Training

Program 

Diversity

Supplier 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA New Employee 

Orientation for SE

During FY 19, OEEMA began participating in SE orientation session 

to ensure all new SE employees receive POWH training. FY 2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

No Training

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA POWH SE Smithsonian Enterprises requested in-person refresher session for 

several staff members. 6/19/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

No Training

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

Video EEO for 

Supervisors 

Training CHM

OEEMA provided EEO for Supervisors training to CHM managers 

located in NYC via vidyo. 9/24/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

No Training

Program 

Diversity

Supplier 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

17
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA

One Smithsonian 

Video 

In collaboration with ASCEA, OHR, OFI, Access Smithsonian, 

Smithsonian Affiliates and SE, OEEMA spearheaded the 

development and production of the One Smithsonian video that 

highlights the diversity of our staff and affiliated persons across 

the Institution. This video will be used to promote SI career and 

academic appointment opportunities as well as representing a paninstitutional collaboration. 

FY 2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

LGBTQIA+ Community 

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Career Fairs

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Digital Promotion of 

Academic 

Appointments

Digital Promotion of 

Job Opportunities

Fellowships

Internships

Recruitment

Virtual Programming

Virtual Internships

Volunteer 

Opportunities

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

Women's Business 

Enterprise National 

Council Conference 

(WBENC) 

OEEMA participated at the WBENC Conference and provided 

advice and assistance to women-owned businesses on how to do 

business with the Smithsonian. All firms were encouraged to 

register in the Smithsonian's Small Business Database. 

6/25/3019 - 6/27/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women

No Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

18
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA

Elite SDVOSB 

National 

Conference

OEEMA participated in the Elite SDVOSB National Conference and 

provided advice and assistance to SDVOSBs on how to do business 

with the Smithsonian. All firms were encouraged to register in the 

Smithsonian's Small Business Database. 

8/21/2019 - 8/23/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

National HUBZone 

Conference

OEEMA participated in the National HUBZone Conference and 

provided advice and assistance on how to do business with the 

Smithsonian during one-on-one matchmaking sessions. All firms 

were encouraged to register in the Smithsonian's Small Business 

Database. 

9/4/2019 - 9/5/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

29th Annual 

Government 

Procurement 

Conference

OEEMA assisted in the planning and participated in the 28th 

Annual Government Procurement Conference and provided advice 

and assistance on how to do business with the Smithsonian. All 

firms were encouraged to register in the Smithsonian's Small 

Business Database. 

4/15/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA

USAID Small 

Business Fair

OEEMA participated at USAID’s Small Business Fair and provided 

advice and assistance to local small businesses on how to do 

business with Smithsonian. This event also provided OEEMA’s 

interns the opportunity to engage with small businesses on the 

Smithsonian's supplier diversity efforts.

5/16/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

19
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA

Congressional Black 

Caucus Foundation 

(CBCF) Annual 

Legislative 

Conference

Hosted a booth at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 

Annual Legislative Conference. OEEMA participated in this 

outreach event with SDP Liaisons from AAA, HMSG, NMAAHC, 

OCEA, OCon&PPM, OF&A, OGR, OSHEM, and SIL. 

9/12/2019 - 9/14/2019 Completed African Americans No Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA Supplier Diversity 

Interns

OEEMA hosted two college interns who assisted the Supplier 

Diversity Program (SDP) in outreach to the small business 

community, improvements to SDP's vendor maintenance system, 

and educational visits to a variety of Smithsonian units to 

understand SI's business and procurement needs. 

Spring 2019 Completed Women Yes

Internships

Supplier Diversity 

Outreach

Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Secretary OEEMA SAAA Internship 

Program

OEEMA hosted an intern through the SAAA internship program. 

This individual continued Supplier Diversity Program’s mission of 

advocating for increased small business use by developing and 

implementing small business follow-up procedures, evaluating 

small business marketing materials, and updating databases with 

sources of prospective vendors. They also served as a point of 

contact for Supplier Diversity Program inquiries and continued to 

augment capability statement response procedures to ensure 

timely engagement with prospective small business partners. 

Spring 2019 Completed

African Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Internships

Supplier Diversity 

Outreach

Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

20
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Secretary OEEMA GovConectx

OEEMA participated at the provided advice and assistance 

minority-owned small businesses on how to do business with the 

Smithsonian at the GovConectx small business conference. All 

firms were encouraged to register in the Smithsonian's Small 

Business Database. 

10/13/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Secretary OEEMA 2019 OCon&PPM 

Share Fair

OEEMA collaborated with OCon&PPM to locate small businesses 

to participate in OCon&PPM's two-day Share Fair. This two-day 

event served as a power exchange of information among 

Smithsonian staff, OCon&PPM, SDP, and small businesses.

4/3/2019 - 4/4/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Women

No Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

USFA AP Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH is a 10-month internship program for young adults 

with cognitive disabilities, which is sponsored by the Accessibility 

Program. Interns in 3 10-week internships during their tenure to 

increase their job readiness skills. In addition, interns gain 

experience in other job development areas, such as resume 

writing, interviewing and professional workplace behavior. Each 

year the Smithsonian hosts 10-12 interns. To date, SI has hired 27 

interns with a 94% retention rate, further diversifying SI's 

workforce. 

2013 - Present In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

USFA AP Morning at the 

Museum

Morning at the Museum is an ongoing initiative in which 

individuals with cognitive disabilities or sensory processing 

disorders and their families are invited to visit an SI museum one 

hour before it opens to the public. Families are given "pre-visit" 

materials to help them prepare (e.g., social stories, visual 

schedules, sensory tips, etc.) and are allowed to participate in 

theme-related activities that are developed for different learning 

types. In 2018, AP hosted 28 MATM programs. In addition, the AP 

manages the advisory committee for the program. 

2011 - Present In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

21
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

USFA AP

See Me at the 

Smithsonian

See Me is a program for adults with dementia and their caregivers. 

Managed by AP, programs take place in different SI museums each 

month. Participants engage in small group discussions about the 

museums’ collections. Often multi-sensory elements are 

incorporated into the programs to enhance the experience. 

10/2017 - 

Present In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

USFA AP User Experts Group

User Experts Group Individuals with disabilities participate in a 

variety of discussions, sessions, and charrettes to provide input on 

how to create accessible exhibitions and programs at the 

Smithsonian. User experts vary in age and in ability. 

10/2017 - 

Present In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Training Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

USFA AP

Smithsonian 

Accessibility 

Network

AP staff coordinated the formation of the Smithsonian 

Accessibility Network in collaboration with educators and staff 

from around SI to promote accessibility best practices, provide 

staff training, and encourage community partnerships. The 

network hosts bimonthly workshops and training opportunities.

2017 - Present In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Training Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

USFA AP

Greater 

Washington 

Internship Coalition

As a member of the GWIC, the Accessibility Program is dedicated 

to increasing the number of internship and educational 

opportunities for individuals with disabilities at SI and in the 

community. The GWIC meets quarterly. Members regularly 

participate in outreach events such as affinity-group conferences 

and internship/career fairs in Washington, DC to promote SI 

academic programs to diverse audiences

2014 - Present In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No

Career Fairs

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Education

Fellowships

Internships

Recruitment

Training

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

USFA AP Accessibility 

Training

AP staff trained multiple SI units' staff, volunteers, and interns on 

inclusive customer service, best practices, access services, and 

disability awareness. 

Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Training Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

22
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

USFA OCIO Internships OCIO hosted 20 interns of varied ethnicities and backgrounds. FY 2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Yes Internships Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

USFA OSP Internship Identify candidate for unpaid internships 1/2019 - 8/2019 Completed Hispanics No Internships Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

USFA OSP Internship Identify candidate for unpaid internship 7/2019 - 8/2019 Completed White No Internships Program 

Diversity College/University

USFA OSP Internship Identify candidate for unpaid internship 7/2019 - 8/2019 Completed White No Internships Program 

Diversity College/University

USFA OSP Internship Identify candidate for unpaid internship 6/2019 - 8/2019 Completed White No Internships Program 

Diversity College/University

USFA OSP Internship Identify candidate for unpaid internship 11/5/2019 - 

11/14/2019 Completed African Americans No Internships Program Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

USFA OSP Internship Identify candidate for unpaid internships 8/26/2019 - 

12/9/2019 In Progress African Americans No Internships Program Diversity College/University

USFA OSP Internship Identify candidate for unpaid internship 1/2019 - 4/2019 In Progress Italian No Internships Program 

Diversity College/University

Provost AAA

Riffing on the 

Collection: Cheech 

Marin Encounters 

the Archives of 

American Art

Visitors joined Cheech Marin and Archives staff in an intimate 

setting to encounter, firsthand, original documents from the 

Archives of American Art, including letters from Frida Kahlo, 

sketchbooks from the papers of artists in Cheech’s personal 

collection of Chicano art and other gems of American art history. 

The Archives gathered Cheech Marin's oral history in 2017. 

12/6/2018 Completed Hispanics No Collections Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Visual Arts and the 

AIDS Epidemic: An 

Oral History Project 

On October 13, 2018, Liza Kirwin attended and lectured at the Oral 

History Association’s annual meeting in Montreal, Canada, on 

Within Silence: HIV/AIDS and the Visual Arts Listening Session 

panel, with Theodore Kerr, about the Visual Arts and AIDS 

Epidemic Oral History Project.

10/13/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Public Programming

Training

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

23
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

Archives of 

American Art 

Journal

The fall 2018 issue of the Archives of American Art Journal (vol. 57, 

no. 2) is a special edition focused on Latino art and archives. The 

issue features research articles by Karen Mary Davalos, whose 

publications on Chicano art have helped define the field, and 

Tatiana Reinoza, a postdoctoral fellow preparing a book on Latino 

printmaking. To accompany this new research, we commissioned 

art historian Jennifer A. González to conduct interviews with 

academics and curators whose scholarship on Latino art engages 

deeply with archives at the Smithsonian and beyond. The 

Archives’ national collector Josh T. Franco critically surveys the 

Smithsonian’s engagement with Latino studies and the many 

collections he acquired for the Archives while overseeing our threeyear focused Latino Collecting Initiative (2015–2017).

10/2018 - 

10/2021 In Progress Hispanics No

Collections

Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Advisory Board of 

the Archives of 

American Art 

Journal

New appointments to the Advisory Board of the Archives of 

American Journal include Latino artist Ken Gonzales-Day and Asian 

American artist Mel Chin.

10/15/2018 Completed Hispanics No Advisory Board 

Member Diversity

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

African American 

Art Advisors 

Committee

In the first quarter of FY 2019, the Archives assembled a 

committee of distinguished scholars in the field of African 

American art to serve as advisors to our special collecting initiative 

documenting African American art, funded by the Luce 

Foundation. 

11/2018 In Progress African Americans No

Education

Employee Affinity 

Groups

Collections

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Funding for 

Underrepresented 

Groups

The Archives received a $5M endowment from the Roy 

Lichtenstein Foundation to process and digitize material on art and 

artists from historically underrepresented groups in the Archives' 

collections and the American canon, making them broadly 

available online.

11/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Collections

Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

24
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA Women's Initiative 

In the first quarter of FY 2019, the Archives has undertaken oral 

history initiatives in the art of African Americans and Latinos and 

has a pending proposal with the Smithsonian Women’s Initiative 

for oral history interviews of Native American women.

10/2018 - 

12/2018 In Progress

African Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

No Collections

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA Increased Minority 

Intern Applications

The Archives has made a conscious decision to pay all interns in 

order to lower financial barriers to participation across a wider 

range of applicants. We are now enrolled in “Handshake,” an 

aggregated recruiting tool that has increased minority intern 

applications.

10/1/2018 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Internships

Recruitment

Training

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Association of 

Research Institutes 

in Art History 

(ARIAH) Best 

Practices - Diversity 

and Inclusion 

Committee

Liza Kirwin continues to serve on the Best Practices (Diversity & 

Inclusion) committee of the Association of Research Institutes in 

Art History (ARIAH). 

10/1/2018 - 

3/31/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Career Counseling

Collections

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Education

Fellowships

Internships

Public Programming

Recruitment

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

African American 

Art Article - Henry 

Ossawa Tanner

Article written by Jeffrey Richmond-Moll - artist Henry Ossawa 

Tanner (1859–1937) 11/7/2018 Completed African Americans No Collections Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

25
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

Henry Luce 

Foundation - 

African American 

Collecting Initiative

Henry Luce Foundation African American Collecting Initiative 

Update: Funded by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, the 

goal of the Archives' multi-year African American Collecting 

Initiative is to increase the number of collections by and about 

African Americans to tell a broader and more diverse story of 

American visual art history. In the first year of the initiative, the 

Luce archivist processed 19 collections totaling 72.2 linear feet of 

primary source material. As a result, these collections now have an 

online, fully searchable finding aid, which increases their 

accessibility and usability by researchers worldwide. Among the 

collections processed in this first year were the papers of Elizabeth 

Catlett, Sam Gilliam, Hale Woodruff, and Jacob Lawrence and 

Gwendolyn Knight.

10/1/2018 - 

3/31/2019 In Progress African Americans No

Collections

Education

Internships

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

Provost AAA Plenary speaker at 

Latino Art Now! 

Plenary speaker at Latino Art Now! 2019 arra-Frausto (April 4) 

conference with Roberto Tejada and Tomas Yb 4/4/2019 Completed Hispanics No

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations;#Public 

Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Presented Archive 

Live with Vincent 

Valdez at Latino Art 

Now! 2019 

Presented Archive Live with Vincent Valdez at Latino Art Now! 

2019 4/5/2019 Completed Hispanics No

Collections;#Conferen

ces w/Professional 

Organizations;#Public 

Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Interviewed for 

West Texas Talk on 

Marfa Public Radio 

Interviewed for West Texas Talk on Marfa Public Radio regarding 

the Virgin of Guadalupe and art in Marfa, Texas 4/30/2019 Completed Hispanics No Collections;#Research Associates

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Performed 

‘Procession: 

Mayahuel Meets 

Guadalupe’ - Agave 

Festival in Texas

Performed ‘Procession: Mayahuel Meets Guadalupe’ with Santa 

Barraza and Kay Turner as part of Agave Festival in Marfa, Texas 6/2/2019 Completed Hispanics No

Collections;#Public 

Programming;#Resear

ch Associates

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

26
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

Provided tour of 

AAA to Elizabeth 

Goizueta and 

Hortensia Soriano 

Provided tour of AAA to Elizabeth Goizueta and Hortensia Soriano 6/21/2019 Completed Hispanics No Collections Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Tour and 

Presentation to 

Latinx Collections 

to 2019 cohort of SI 

Latino Museum 

Studies Program

Provided tour and presentation on Latinx collections to 2019 

cohort of SI Latino Museum Studies Program (LMSP) Fellows (July 

30)

7/30/2019 Completed Hispanics No

Please choose all that 

apply:

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Elizabeth Catlett’s 

Papers for 

'Students Aspire' 

and the (Black) 

Artist as Engineer

AAA Blog: In 1974, twenty artists were invited by Howard 

University’s School of Engineering to submit design proposals for a 

sculpture contest. The winning work was to be featured on the 

historically Black university’s newly minted chemical engineering 

building. Of the eight artists who submitted sketches, seven 

finalists were invited to send in models or maquettes and present 

them to an art committee for approval. In the end of the two-year 

process, the decision came to a vote. Howard alumna and 

renowned artist, Elizabeth Catlett was chosen to bring art to the 

science wing. Just a few years after she’d been honored with an 

individual art exhibition at the university in 1972, Catlett was 

handpicked by her alma mater once more.

2/26/2019 Completed African Americans No

Collections;#Internshi

ps;#Research 

Associates

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

27
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

Val Laigo, José Rizal 

Park, and the 

Mosaic of Filipino 

America

AAA Blog: What is now Dr. José Rizal Park, an outdoor space for 

the local Beacon Hill community in Seattle, Washington, was once 

a condemned land. Inaccessible to the public until it was acquired 

in 1971 by the City of Seattle Parks Department, the land would 

not be dedicated until 1979. Taking the name of Filipino nationalist 

Dr. José Rizal, an ophthalmologist-turned-anticolonial writer who 

was executed by the Spanish colonial government for sedition, the 

park would take on a political life of its own following years of 

suppression. By 1981, with the completion of Filipino artist Val 

Laigo’s outdoor mosaic East is West, the park had acquired an 

artistic addition to its original attractions.

3/13/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Collections;#Educatio

n

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Board Member 

Appointee

Hiroko Ikegami was appointed to the Archives of American Art 

Journal advisory board for a three-year term. 7/2019 Completed Asian Americans No

Public 

Programming;#Recrui

tment

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Oral History 

Interviews with 

American Indians

Archives received funding from the Leon Polk Smith Foundation to 

conduct oral history interviews of five American Indians, in 

partnership with NMAI.

7/2019 Planned Native Americans No

Collections;#Public 

Programming;#Resear

ch Associates

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Interviewing 

African American 

Artists

The Archives has an ongoing initiative (2019–2020) to interview 

African American Artists 7/2019 In Progress African Americans No Collections;#Education

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA Interviewing Latino 

artists

The Archives has an ongoing initiative (2019–2020) to interview 

Latino artists (2019–2020) funded by the Latino Initiatives Pool. 7/2019 In Progress Hispanics No Collections;#Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

28
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

Participation in a 

Diversity 

Committee

Liza Kirwin, deputy director, is participating in a diversity 

committee for the Association of Research Institutes in Art History. 9/6/2019 Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities;#Confere

nces w/Professional 

Organizations;#Educa

tion

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Interview with 

Muralist Louise 

Jones

American Art exhibition Bloom: Flowers from the Archives of 

American Art, curator Mary Savig invited the artist Louise Jones 

(née Chen) to create a mural for the Lawrence A. Fleischman 

Gallery space. Jones, who goes by the artist name Ouizi, has 

gathered admirers and accolades for her luminous murals, which 

are often flower-themed. The mural she created for the Archives is 

titled Adaptation Nocturne and it incorporates roses, irises, clover, 

and other flowers, along with inspiration drawn from Orchids: 

Amazing Adaptations on view through April 27 in the Kogod 

Courtyard, adjoining the exhibition space.

Jones was born and raised in Los Angeles and studied drawing and 

printmaking at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She moved 

to Detroit in 2014 and has made over fifty murals—many of which 

are in the city; across the country in North Carolina, New York, 

Virginia, Arkansas, Illinois, Hawaii, and other places; and abroad in 

China and New Zealand. A gifted multitasker, Jones answered 

some questions about her process and influences, all while deftly 

painting the clovers on the bottom left corner of the mural in the 

gallery.

3/28/2019 Completed Asian Americans No

Public 

Programming;#Educat

ion

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

29
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

Interview with 

Muralist Louise 

Jones

Interview with Muralist Louise Jones 

Jones, who goes by the artist name Ouizi, has gathered admirers and accolades 

for her luminous murals, which are often flower-themed. The mural she created 

for the Archives is titled Adaptation Nocturne and it incorporates roses, irises, 

clover, and other flowers, along with inspiration drawn from Orchids: Amazing 

Adaptations on view through April 27 in the Kogod Courtyard, adjoining the 

exhibition space.

Jones was born and raised in Los Angeles and studied drawing and printmaking 

at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She moved to Detroit in 2014 and has 

made over fifty murals—many of which are in the city; across the country in 

North Carolina, New York, Virginia, Arkansas, Illinois, Hawaii, and other places; 

and abroad in China and New Zealand. A gifted multitasker, Jones answered 

some questions about her process and influences, all while deftly painting the 

clovers on the bottom left corner of the mural in the gallery.

Read more: https://www.aaa.si.edu/blog/2019/03/interview-with-muralistlouise-jones#EMIc4pGzClViwgZk.99

Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv

Follow us: @Smithsonian Magazine on Twitter

4/4/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Education;#Public 

Programming

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

30
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA Acquisitions: Senga 

Nengudi Papers

Blog: This entry is part of an ongoing series highlighting new acquisitions. The 

Archives of American Art collects primary source materials—original letters, 

writings, preliminary sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, financial records, and 

the like—that have significant research value for the study of art in the United 

States. A version of this essay was originally published in the Spring 2018 issue 

(vol. 58, no. 1) of the Archives of American Art Journal. More information about 

the journal can be found at http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/aaa/current.

African American conceptual artist Senga Nengudi was born Sue Irons in 1943 

in Chicago. In 1975 she adopted the African name Senga Nengudi. The Archives’ 

acquisition of her papers secures Nengudi’s legacy as a pioneer of post 

minimalism and performance art and as a political activist. The papers recount 

decades of experimentation with materials, as well as efforts to expand the 

expressive potential of sculpture and dance. They also chronicle Nengudi’s 

exploration of the exhibition possibilities for African American artists outside of 

traditional museum and gallery spaces.

Nengudi’s papers document her studies in both the US and Japan. They contain 

essays, term papers, sketches, and scores from her years at California State 

University, Los Angeles, where she earned a bachelor of fine arts with a minor 

in dance (1966) and a master of arts in sculpture (1971). In 1966–67, Nengudi 

studied Japanese culture at Waseda University in Tokyo. There she shifted her 

artistic focus from material and physical conditions to a more philosophical 

approach oriented toward the immaterial and metaphysical. She explored the 

relationship between time and space, lines and light, improvisation and 

choreographed movement, ritual and revolution. Representing her time in 

Tokyo is a Pan Am bag stuffed with airmailed postcards, letters, and stamped 

tags from boxes that passed through customs. The letters from her mother, her 

brother, and her beau, Elliot Fittz, kept Nengudi connected to racial tensions in 

the US at the time. 

5/22/2019 Completed African Americans No Collections;#Educatio

n

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

31
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

Elizabeth Catlett 

and the (Black) 

Artist as Engineer

Blog: In 1974, twenty artists were invited by Howard University’s School of 

Engineering to submit design proposals for a sculpture contest. The winning 

work was to be featured on the historically Black university’s newly minted 

chemical engineering building. Of the eight artists who submitted sketches, 

seven finalists were invited to send in models or maquettes and present them 

to an art committee for approval

Howard alumna and renowned artist, Elizabeth Catlett was chosen to bring art 

to the science wing. Just a few years after she’d been honored with an 

individual art exhibition at the university in 1972, Catlett was handpicked by her 

alma mater once more. Over four decades after graduating in 1935, AfricanAmerican lithograph artist and sculptor Elizabeth Catlett returned to Howard, 

not as a former student led by nostalgia, but as a contracted artist.

Read more: https://www.aaa.si.edu/blog/2019/02/elizabeth-catletts-studentsaspire-and-the-black-artist-engineer#Ala9SvzuUM4RlG4K.99

Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv

Follow us: @Smithsonian Magazine on Twitter

5/31/2019 Completed African Americans Yes

Collections;#Educatio

n;#Public 

Programming

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

32
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

The Black Art 

Historian and the 

Visual Legacy of 

Revlon’s “Polished 

Ambers”

In the summer of 1980, art historian and critic Judith Wilson was commissioned 

by Essence magazine, a Black women’s publication founded in 1970, to conduct 

interviews with Black women visual artists working in the new decade. An 

Essence typescript memo in the Judith Wilson papers, dated September of the 

same year, shows a request for Wilson’s expertise in the formation of a list of 

Black women artists, a list that would be forwarded to none other than the 

multinational cosmetics powerhouse Revlon. In anticipation of a possible 

“Polished Ambers” promotion set to run in 1981, Essence positioned itself in 

collaboration with Revlon and its efforts to craft a campaign that was slated to 

“involve Black women artists across the country.” 

Polished Ambers, Revlon’s cosmetic line for Black women, was a short-lived 

campaign that began in 1975 in an effort to “capture the upscale ethnic 

market.” Highly artistic, the brand largely introduced itself to its target audience 

through eye-catching visuals rather than product testimonials. Harnessing the 

power of affirming imagery, Polished Ambers advertisements featured Black 

models like Iman, Peggy Dillard-Toone, and Gail Kendrick. Signing an 

unprecedented two-year, six- figure deal with Iman, Revlon’s campaign gave 

Black beauty the commercial treatment which, as Black Enterprise pointed out 

in 1978, Black-owned cosmetics businesses had long been denied. Adopting a 

refined aesthetic and trafficking in emotional appeals, a few of the ads for 

Polished Ambers featured Black women in mink coats and/or corporate wear, 

their images fixed alongside slogans that suggested a knowledge of the racial 

beauty politics facing African Americans. “You don’t have to borrow anybody 

else’s beauty,” one ad declares.

6/4/2019 Completed African Americans No Collections;#Educatio

n

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Book Review 

"Emerging Trends 

in Archival Science"

Rayna Andrews wrote a review for Mid-Atlantic Archivist, entitled 

"Emerging Trends in Archival Science", published in the spring 

2019 issue.

2/3/2019 Completed African Americans No Education;#Research 

Associates

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Presentation about 

archival processing 

and the Henry Luce 

Foundation

Rayna Andrews gave a presentation about archival processing and 

the Henry Luce Foundation African American Collecting Initiative 

to the National Board Member Spouses and to members of the 

Office of Advancement

2/1/2019 Completed African Americans No

Collections;#Conferen

ces w/Professional 

Organizations;#Educa

tion;#Public 

Programming

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

33
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

Collective 

Responsibility 

Forum in 

Pittsburgh, PA

Rayna Andrews attended the first of two planned forums 

discussing contingent and precarious labor practices in libraries 

and archives. The first forum focused on sharing experiences and 

identifying ways we might create structural change. More 

information here: http://laborforum.diglib.org/forum-1

Goals for the forum were as follows:

1.To provide a space for workers to share their experiences and 

thoughts.

2.To better understand each other’s experiences and build 

solidarity.

3.To identify commonly-shared negative experiences and reflect 

on which structures/systems perpetuate them.

4.To identify structures which promoted wholeness or minimize 

harm.

5.To reflect on how we may use what we’ve learned to create 

structural change.

4/25/2019 - 

4/26/2019 Completed African Americans No

Career 

Counseling;#Conferen

ces w/Professional 

Organizations;#Educa

tion

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

MARAC Diversity 

and Inclusion 

Committee

Rayna Andrews is a member of the MARAC's Diversity and 

Inclusion committee. 2/1/2019 In Progress African Americans No

Career 

Counseling;#Conferen

ces w/Professional 

Organizations;#Educa

tion;#Public 

Programming

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

MARAC Diversity 

and Inclusion 

Committee

Rayna Andrews is on the planning committee for the upcoming 

MARAC fall meeting in Cambridge, MD (ongoing, the meeting is in 

November). She will be coordinating sessions related to 

mentorship and advocacy. 

10/2018 Planned African Americans No

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations;#Educa

tion;#Public 

Programming

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

34
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost AAA

Steering 

Committee for 

SAA's Women 

Archivists Section

Rayna Andrews is on the Steering Committee for SAA's Women 

Archivists Section 2/1/2019 In Progress

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Career 

Counseling;#Conferen

ces w/Professional 

Organizations;#Public 

Programming

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA Ad hoc group of 

SAA leaders 

Rayna Andrews is working on an ad hoc group to update 

guidelines for job posting procedures with the goal of promoting 

transparency and pay equity in the field. 

2/1/2019 In Progress

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Career 

Counseling;#Conferen

ces w/Professional 

Organizations;#Educa

tion;#Digital 

Promotion of Job 

Opportunities

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost AAA

Course on 

Developing and 

Administering 

Ethnic & Cultural 

Heritage Resources

Rayna Andrews attended the California Rare Book School course 

Developing and Administering Ethnic & Cultural Heritage 

Resources.

8/12/2019 - 

8/16/2019 Completed Residents of Under-resourced Communities

No

Career 

Counseling;#Conferen

ces w/Professional 

Organizations;#Educa

tion;#Supplier 

Diversity Outreach

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost ACM

Reach all DCPS 

Schools

ACM, through its student and teacher programs seeks to advance 

its outreach to DCPS students and teachers through its student 

and teacher programs. These include teacher workshops for 

current exhibitions; student career day programs; school tours; 

family day programs; and off-site art workshops.

2018/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

35
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost ACM

Urban Waterways' 

Women's 

Environmental 

Leadership 

Initiative

In conjunction with the SI American Women's History Initiative 

(AWHI), ACM received a grant from AWHI ($37,000) to conduct a 

project focusing on environmental and social justice including an 

oral history series; dinner and discussion programs, and a 

publication

2019 - 

December 2020 In Progress Women Yes

Education

Heritage Month 

Programming

Internships

Memorandums of 

Understanding 

Informal

Memorandums of 

Understanding Formal

Public Programming

Research Associates

Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost ACM Broadening 

Audience Scope

ACM is broadening access to its brand by making concerted efforts 

to take elements of it exhibitions and programming into the many 

communities it serves. A recent partnership with DC Public 

Libraries is allowing ACM to cross-collaborate on public 

programming as well as have satellite exhibitory in several DC 

public library branches during the run of ACM's current exhibition, 

"A Right to the City".

2019 - Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Education

Heritage Month 

Programming

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost CHNDM Morning at the 

Museum

Morning at the Museum is a project of the Smithsonian 

Institution's Accessibility Program and the Smithsonian Museums. 

Guided by a Community Advisory Committee comprised of 

museum educators, exhibit designers, professionals who work 

with children with cognitive or sensory processing disabilities, 

parents, and self-advocates, the Smithsonian has developed a 

series of pre-visit materials designed to help children with 

cognitive and sensory processing disabilities and their families 

enjoy a visit to the Smithsonian Museums.

10/1/2018 - 

9/30/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities Yes

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost CHNDM Design Dialogues

Free program for individuals with Alzheimer’s or other dementias 

and their care partners to experience and discuss design objects 

and exhibitions in a small group.

3/31/2019

5/19/2019

7/14/2019

Completed Individuals with Disabilities No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

36
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost CHNDM Verbal Description 

+ Sensory Tours

Verbal description tours of exhibitions are offered the first Friday 

of every month.

10/01/2018 - 

9/30/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities Yes

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM Teen Design Access 

Workshop + Fair

Workshop for teens with autism on the design process, visit to 

exhibitions, and participation in the National Design Week's Teen 

Design Fair.

10/16/2018 Completed Individuals with Disabilities Yes

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost CHNDM

Inclusive Design 

Fashion Workshops 

and Panel

Panel discussion held in collaboration with ReelAbilities Film 

Festival: NY, featuring designers working in adaptive fashion, Open 

Style Lab and Target's Design for All.

4/06/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM Global Accessibility 

Awareness Day

Workshop led by Microsoft for artists with intellectual or 

developmental disabilities, in partnership with YAI and Land 

Gallery.

5/16/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM Large Print Labels Large-print labels have been produced for all exhibitions during 

the year.

10/01/2018 - 

9/30/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Exhibitions Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM

Audio Description 

for Exhibition 

Media

Audio description was made available for all videos featured in 

exhibitions during FY19. This included the creation of new content 

through a contractor, in-house content creation, and designerdriven adaptions.

10/01/2018 - 

9/30/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities Yes Exhibitions Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM

Focus Groups and 

Accessibility 

Advisory 

Committee

CHSDM organized an advisory group convening twice each year 

with ongoing support to various projects and informing on 

priorities for accessibility initiatives at CH. Specific focus groups 

were organized around gallery engagement tools and exhibition 

installations.

10/25/2018 Completed Individuals with Disabilities Yes Exhibitions Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM

Supporting 

Transitions 

Internship

Supporting Transitions is a program led by the Museum, Arts and 

Culture Access Consortium (MAC), a network of cultural 

practitioners and advocates in the NY Metro Area. ST aims to 

address the pipeline of employment for adults with autism in 

cultural organizations.

3/1/2019 - 

6/1/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Internships Workforce Diversity College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

37
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost CHNDM Image Description 

Training Materials

Through a Smithsonian Accessibility Innovation Fund (SAIF) grant, 

CHSDM partnered with Freer | Sackler and Hirshhorn to produce a 

series of training modules on the topic of website accessibility and 

image descriptions. The project also resulted in the creation of 

image description guidelines which can be used across SI.

11/12/2018-

04/24/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities Yes Training Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM

Alexa Voice 

Interface Prototype

CHSDM in collaboration with Prime Access Consulting and Alley 

Interactive developed a prototype voice interface delivering a 

virtual tour of a Cooper Hewitt exhibition Tablescapes for remote 

visitors.

5/1/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Virtual Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM

ePub The Senses: 

Design Beyond 

Vision publication

CHSDM converged the publication for The Senses: Design Beyond 

Vision into an e-pub, a format accessible to individuals who are 

blind or have low-vision, and distributed free of charge.

10/24/2018 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Virtual Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM Pay-What-YouWish Saturdays

Saturdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., pay-what-you-wish 

admission.

10/01/2018 - 

9/30/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Native Americans

No Admissions Policy Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost CHNDM Diseno Lecture 

Series

Free workshop and lecture DISEÑO series, which focuses on 

design and Latino Identity. 11/05/2018 Completed Hispanics No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG See Me at 

Smithsonian

An interactive tour of the museums monthly that is tailored to 

individuals with dementia and their care partners

2/2018 to 

Present In Progress Individuals with Disabilities Yes

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Interactive Cosmic 

Buddha

Interactive exhibit for visitors with vision loss. Uses digital printing 

and touch activated audio prompts to provide in-depth 

information about museum’s artwork.

10/2018 - 

Present In Progress Individuals with Disabilities Yes Public ProgrammingCollections

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Accessibility Toolkit Toolkit designed for museum professionals wishing to implement 

accessibility programs at their museums 5/1/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities Yes TrainingEducation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

38
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost FSG Accessibility 

Training

F|S staff worked with the Accessibility Office to develop a series of 

trainings to both new docents and continuing docents about 

making tours accessible for all visitors and working with diverse 

learners

5/21/2019 - 

9/25/2019 In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Training Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Tours in Other 

Languages

F|S staff organized docents who speak Japanese, Korean, Chinese 

and Spanish to provide 40 tours to 782 visitors

10/1/2018 - 

Present In Progress

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Reserved Tours for 

K-12 Students and 

Adults

F|S offers free reserved docent-led tours to K-12 school groups as 

well as university and adult groups. Some of these groups selfidentify as a historically underrepresented group.

10/1/2018 - 

Present In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Outreach Educator 

Program

Contractor staff visit select DC Public and Public Charter schools 

one week prior to their museum visit

10/11/2018 - 

Present In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost FSG

DC Arts and 

Humanities 

Education 

Collaborative 

Museum Visit 

Program

Reserved tours for schools selected through a membership 

program with the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative. 

A free bus is provided for each visit.

10/21/2016 - 

Present In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost FSG Monthly Supplier 

Diversity Emails

The Freer|Sackler sends out a monthly all-staff email update that 

includes a section on supplier diversity vendors. This includes 

providing vendor information, sharing capability statements, or 

pointing staff to the supplier diversity database.

10/1/2018 - 

Present In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Advanced 

Procurement Plan

Supporting Supplier 

Diversity Goals

Supplier 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

39
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost FSG Chinese Object 

Study Workshops

Two one week workshops held for graduate students, for the 

study of Chinese art, with some Asian American instructors

6/2019 and 

8/2019 Completed Asian Americans No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Sufi Arts Full day program exploring the arts of Sufism, with a focus on 

South Asia and Asian American speakers 10/13/2018 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

The Sogdians: 

Influencers Along 

the Silk Roads

A historical overview and introduction of new online exhibition 

focused on the Sogdians (based in Central Asia and China), 

followed by a gallery tour and 3D printing demo of Sogdian 

objects. 

6/30/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Internships In FY19, Freer and Sackler hosted interns, of whom 24 belonged to 

underserved groups

10/1/2018 - 

Present In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Education Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

Provost FSG Freer|Sackler Teen 

Council

The Freer|Sackler Teen council is an afterschool program 

throughout the academic year that introduces teens from across 

the DC, Maryland and Virginia region to Asian art and culture, and 

museum careers. 15 students participated in the program in FY18, 

and 500 additional teens were served through programs created 

by the core group of teens, including a teens take over the 

museum event. The group is very diverse and includes teens of 

different races, cultural backgrounds, and income levels.

10/2018 - 

5/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost FSG

Asian Pacific 

American Heritage 

Month Celebration

A rich day of activities for all ages, exploring aspects of Asian and 

Asian American culture, including film, music, and art making. 5/18/2019 Completed

Asian Americans

Buddhist community No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

40
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost FSG

African Diaspora 

Heritage Film 

Screening and Talk: 

Guangzhou Dream 

Factory

Documentary screening about African migrants in China, copresented with the National Museum of African Art 10/3/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Nowruz

Ringing in the Persian New Year at our tenth annual Nowruz 

celebration featured free attractions for all ages and welcomed 

8,400 visitors. Activities included a Haft sin table display, 

storytelling by Xanthe Gresham, calligraphy, hands-on art 

activities, live music, and food. The featured exhibitions were: 

Engaging the Senses and Feast Your Eyes.

3/16/2019 Completed African Americans

Asian Americans

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Empresses Opening 

Day Festival

Welcoming the return of spring and the annual blossoming of the 

Tidal Basin's cherry trees, 10,000 visitors explored Asian art at the 

Freer and Sackler Galleries with family-friendly tours and learned 

about Empresses of China's last dynasty. This year's events 

included a daylong celebration featuring pop-up art-making 

activities and artist demonstrations inspired by the spring season 

and the launch of our new Chinese Empresses exhibition.

3/20/2019 Completed

Asian Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Indian Food Festival Food festival featuring six local Indian restaurants in collaboration 

with the Embassy of India. 6/15/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Asian American 

Literature Festival

Evening event featuring poetry readings, performances, food, and 

music in collaboration with the Smithsonian Asia Pacific American 

Center. 690 people attended.

8/2/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Smithsonian 

African American 

Film Festival

As part of a festival co-presented with the National Museum of 

African American History and Culture, FSG presented two films 

involving Asian American and African American communities.

10/25/2018 - 

10/26/2019 Completed African AmericansAsian Americans

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Iranian Film Festival Annual festival of films from Iran. 2/8/2019 - 

2/24/2019 Completed Asian AmericansIranian Americans

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

41
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost FSG

Smithsonian Year 

of Music Film 

Screening: Flower 

Drum Song

FSG presented a screening of the first Hollywood movie to feature 

an entirely Asian American cast. 5/6/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Made in Hong Kong 

Film Festival: Men 

on the Dragon

Film screening attended by a blind and sight-impaired dragon boat 

racing team, with live audio description. 7/28/2019 Completed Individuals with DisabilitiesBlind/Low Vision No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Film Screening: The 

Ito Sisters

Documentary screening about a Japanese American family the 

suffered internment during World War II, co-presented with the 

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

9/20/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Concert: Hafez 

Kotain Ensemble Classical and popular Arab music 10/20/2018 Completed Asian AmericansArab Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Concert: Music 

from China 

Ensemble

Works by living Chinese and Chinese American composers 11/8/2018 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Performance: 

Buddha Overcomes 

All Obstacles

Reconstructed classical Khmer dance drama with live music 11/10/2018 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Concert: Aeolus 

Quartet and Mark 

Morris Dancers

Works by Akira Miyoshi, Toru Takemitsu, and others 12/1/2018 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Concert: Shanghai 

Quartet

String quartet with three Chinese American members performing 

works of Tan Dun and others 3/7/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Concert and lecturedemos: Hamid AlSaadi, vocals; 

Safaafir ensemble

Classical Iraqi/Arab music 3/8/2019 Completed Asian Americans

Arab Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

42
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost FSG

Concert: The Tale 

of Genji: A Musical 

Narrative

Original musical setting of classic Japanese story, with violinist 

Ikuko Kawai and ensemble 3/24/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Concert: Jasper 

String Quartet Music by Akira Nishimura and others 4/4/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Performance: 

Darpana 

Performing Group

Original dances in modern/bharatanatyam style on themes of 

women's rights in India 4/18/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Performance: 

Mahidol Faculty 

Quartet

Jazz standards and original music by quartet from Thailand 4/26/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG Concert: Shanghai 

Kunqu Troupe Legend of the Jade Hairpin (classical Chinese music theater) 6/8/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Performance: Ravi 

Kulur and Spilling 

Ink

Classical south Indian music with dance on themes of Freer 

ragamala paintings exhibition 7/13/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost FSG

Performances: 

Meetings Along the 

Silk Road

Gao Hong, pipa; Issam Rafea, 'ud 9/14/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NASM Heritage Months 

social media

Social media postings throughout months that have a heritage 

designation commemorating people from that heritage group who 

are connected to the museum and its collections. 

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No

Advanced 

Procurement Plan

Digital Promotion of 

Academic 

Appointments

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

43
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NASM

African American 

Pioneers in Aviation 

and Space Family 

Day

This day long program acknowledges African Americans that have 

made, and continue to make, significant contributions to flight and 

space exploration despite the overwhelming obstacles they had to 

overcome. The program includes guest speakers who share their 

personal tales of triumph, hands-on activities that will challenge 

families to be pioneers in space and aviation, and inspiring stories 

of African Americans who have overcome challenges and refused 

to be hidden figures. 

2/9/2019 - 

Present Completed African Americans No

Education

Heritage Month

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost NASM Aero Club Program

Program that partners with the Aero Club of Washington, DC and 

DC Public Schools to bring diverse middle school students to NASM 

and other locations to teach them about careers in STEM and 

educate students on STEM content.

September 2018 

- 

May 2019

Completed

African Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Workforce 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost NASM Holt Scholars

Educational program that provides resources for DC Public School 

students to come to NASM on field trips and teach STEM content. 

Offers teacher professional development in STEM.

10/2018 - 

3/2019 Completed African Americans Yes Education Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NASM

DC Public Schools 

Night at the 

Museum

Evening program for DC Public School students and their families 

visit the Museum after hours - by invitation - to participate in 

hands-on STEM activities. Buses provided for families and groups 

of students and their teachers from DC wards that do no typically 

visit NASM. Dinner provided.

3/15/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NASM Special Needs 

Tours 

Tours tailored to the needs of visitors with special needs. Staff and 

volunteers provide additional experiences and support - such as 

tactiles for blind or low vision visitors.

Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities Yes

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

44
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NASM Mornings at the 

Museum

A program designed to help children with cognitive or sensory 

processing disabilities enjoy a visit to Smithsonian museums. 

Children and their families register, are allowed to enter the 

Museum before opening, are provided materials before the 

program, and are provided additional support to understand 

programs.

4/17/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities Yes Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NASM

Interactive Video 

Conferences

Connects 5th - 8th grade students and their teachers in Cincinnati, 

OH to NASM through video conferencing. Staff teacher interactive 

lessons, and provide pre-work to students to support learning.

10/2018 - 

3/2019 Completed Residents of Under-resourced Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost NASM Explainers

Part time employment opportunity for high school and college 

students to teach STEM education in the Museum. Staff recruit 

diverse candidates to the program.

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Education

Public Programming

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost NASM

Women in Aviation 

and Space Family 

Day

This day long program acknowledges women have made, and 

continue to make, significant contributions to flight and space 

exploration despite the overwhelming obstacles they had to 

overcome. The program includes guest speakers who share their 

personal tales of triumph, hands-on activities that will challenge 

families engage with STEM content, and inspiring stories of 

women who have overcome challenges to become successful in 

various STEM fields. 

4/9/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Education

Public Programming

Training

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NASM GE Aviation Lecture

The guest speaker is Shaesta Waiz, an Afghan-American female 

pilot who was the youngest woman to fly around the world. The 

lecture is scheduled earlier to encourage families to participate, 

and the speaker will talk about women in aviation careers.

Ongoing In Progress Women Yes

Education

Public Programming

Training

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost NASM

She Can STEM 

Camp

Free STEM and aviation day camp for girls. Preference for students 

from Title I schools and on free or on reduced lunch meals 

program.

7/2019 - 8/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Education

Public Programming

Workforce 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

45
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NASM Afrofuturism

This is a collaborative project involving NASM, NMAfA, and 

NMAAHC to explore Afrofuturism in art, music, literature, and film. 

It will involve public events and a scholarly workshop. Ongoing Planned African Americans No Education Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NASM

Hiring by contract 

of African American 

scholar Monica 

Smith, affiliated 

with Goucher 

College.

Conduct Women in Military Aviation Oral History Interviews, a 

joint initiative of Aeronautics and Space History Departments. Ongoing In Progress African Americans No Collections Workforce Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NASM

NASA’s OPTIMUS 

PRIME 

NASM Advancement and the Aerospace Industries Association 

partnered to bring the girls and their families to the Museum for a 

private tour followed by a round table discussion with the 

Museum and AIA Directors to show their support and to let the 

girls know that aerospace is fun and inclusive. 

Ongoing In Progress African Americans Yes Education Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost NMAH

Native Studies 

Fellowship

NMAH and NMAI, in cooperation with the Association of Tribal 

Archives, Libraries, & Museums (ATALM), hosted a new Fellowship 

in Native American Studies, focused on researching and 

interpreting NMAH collections from a Native perspective

and identifying and developing links between collections at NMAH, 

NMAI, and ATALM-member institutions.

6/2019 - 8/2019 Completed Native Americans No Fellowships Program 

Diversity

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

46
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

African American 

Social Justice 

History Internship

Focusing on African American collections in the Division of Political 

& Military History, this internship aims to expose future museum 

professionals to curatorial practice, collections management 

strategies, and African American holdings at NMAH.

9/2019 - 

12/2019 In Progress African Americans No Internships Program Diversity

College/University

Masters

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Latinx Political 

History Internship 

Focusing on the researching the innovative political organizing 

strategies developed and employed by undocumented youth to 

affected national policy, this internship aimed to create a 

collaborative learning experience to build a Latinx political history 

collection and share it with a national audience. 

6/2019 - 8/2019 Completed

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Illegal to be You: 

Gay History Beyond 

Stonewall, Artifact 

Walls Display 

In June 1969, LGBTQ+ community members resisted a police raid 

at the Stonewall Inn, a bar in lower Manhattan. The museum will 

mark this 50th anniversary with a display featuring objects from its 

collections that put the history of that memorable event within a 

larger and longer experience of being gay.

Opened June 

2019 Completed LGBTQIA+ Community No Exhibition Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH Guest Lecture

Curator Theo Gonzalves presented a lecture at George 

Washington University in honor of Filipino American History 

Month on October 23, 2018.

10/23/2018 Completed Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders No Heritage Month 

Programming

Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH Symposium 

participation

Curator Theo Gonzalves participated in a conference sponsored by 

el Museo y Centro de Estudios Humanísticos (MCEH) at the 

Universidad del Turabo and the Smithsonian Latino Center titled 

"Dialogues across the Puerto Rican and Caribbean Diaspora" in 

Puerto Rico, Nov. 14-16.

11/14/2018 - 

11/16/2018 Planned Hispanics No

Public Programming

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities

Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH Presentation

On Nov. 20, 2018, Museum Specialist Norkio Sanefuji gave a 

presentation to staff and volunteers at the Japanese American 

National Museum, an affiliate in Los Angeles CA, about the 

Righting a Wrong exhibition.

11/20/2018 Completed Asian Americans No Education Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

47
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

The DACA 

Collecting Initiative

Nancy Bercaw, Chair of Division of Political and Military History, 

and Patty Arteaga, Curatorial Assistant, “The DACA Collecting 

Initiative,” With funding from the Smithsonian’s Latino Center, the 

National Museum of American History has established a Deferred 

Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Collecting Initiative to record 

undocumented youth activism over the past 20 years. Focusing on 

seven key geographical locations, the Initiative engages in 

community-based collecting of objects and oral histories in to 

capture the innovation and progression of the movement. The 

collections build upon existing collections and highlight 

undocumented activism is part of the trajectory of American 

democracy; once gathered, the collections will provide a national 

repository for scholars, educators, and the public.

Started in 2018 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Collections Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH Presentation

Robert Horton, Assistant Director, Collections and Archives, 

presented on LGBTQ+ digital hub project at Queer Histories 

Conference

6/2019 Completed LGBTQIA+ Community No

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities

Program 

Diversity

Masters

College/University

PhD

Provost NMAH Univision Collecting

NMAH museum staff spent four days in Miami, FL collecting from 

Univision national network and gathered over 20 oral histories. 

NMAH staff involved in this collecting trip where Kathy Franz, 

Chair of the Division of Work and Industry; Melinda Machado, 

Director, Office of Communications and Marketing; Mireya Loza, 

Curator; and Daniela Jimenez, Archivist.

6/2019 Completed Hispanics No Collections Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

48
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

SCLDA Video 

Project

Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access interviewed 

Curator Theo Gonzalves for a video project that features 

Smithsonian curators speaking about objects in SI's collections. 

Gonzalves spoke about the portrait of Joe Bataan in the NPG and 

upcoming programming concerning Filipino American, African 

American, and Latinx cultures at NMAH. The project is funded by 

an LIP grant and the videos will be used in Texas, high-school 

courses focused on ethnic studies.

7/2019 Completed

African Americans

Hispanics

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Education Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost NMAH Conference Panel

Curator Katherine Ott attended OAH annual meeting in 

Philadelphia for which she organized and chaired a panel: State of 

the Field: Ableism and Disability

4/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost NMAH Presentations

Curator Theo Gonzalves gave two presentations at the University 

of Hawai'i at Mānoa (one to the Department of American Studies, 

the second to the Program in Museum Studies), about his work 

with NMAH's APA Collection. 

2/25/2019 - 

2/26/2019 Completed Asian AmericansNative Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders Yes

Collections

Education

Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost NMAH

Interview and 

Collecting-Kari 

Kondabolu

Curator Theo Gonzalves interviewed comedian Kari Kondabolu on 

October 4, 2018. Asian Americans Advancing presented Kondabolu 

with its 22nd Annual American Courage Award at a ceremony in 

Washington, D.C. The audio and transcript of the interview will be 

deposited into the APA Collection at the NMAH Archives Center

10/4/2018 Completed Asian Americans No Collections Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost NMAH Beyond Stonewall 

documentary

Curator Katherine Ott served as the PI for an SI-Channel paninstitutional documentary, Beyond Stonewall, that aired June 24. 

In relation to the film, she attended as speaker at screenings at 

NMAH, CBS in Los Angeles, and CBS in San Francisco.

6/2019 Completed LGBTQIA+ Community No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

49
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

Virtual Info Session 

on Internships

The NMAH Intern Office hosted a virtual info session with St. 

Mary's College of California, aimed at students who otherwise 

might not be able to participate in an internship, to inform 

students about the application process and to collaborate with 

staff on internship scholarships at the college.

9/2019 Completed Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Digital Promotion of 

Academic 

Appointments

Program 

Diversity College/University

Provost NMAH

Stonewall 50: A 

Panel Discussion on 

LGBTQ+ Research

Franklin Robinson, Archives Specialist, participated in the 

Stonewall 50: A Panel Discussion on LGBTQ+ Research at the 

Library of Congress.

6/21/2019 Completed LGBTQIA+ Community No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH Class Lecture Curator Katherine Ott taught a University of Delaware class of 30 

students on LGBTQ+ history. 4/2019 Completed LGBTQIA+ Community Yes Education Program Diversity College/University

Provost NMAH Presentation

Ashley Rose Young, Historian, gave a talk about the racial and 

gender dynamics of New Orleans’ 20th-century food economy 

through the life and labor of chef Lena Richard. She gave this talk 

at the Library of Congress in front of the LOC “Cooking Club” on 

March 19.

3/19/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Inclusion, Diversity, 

Equity, and 

Accessibility (IDEA) 

Committee 

Internship

The IDEA Committee Internship provides an opportunity for an 

intern to learn about cultural institution practices and contribute 

to the IDEA Council at NMAH.

2/2019 - 5/2019 

and

 8/2019 - 

12/2019

In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Memorandum of 

Understanding 

(MOU) with Colby 

College

Colby College and NMAH created an MOU to support Colby 

students in accessing and participating in internships at the 

Museum. The MOU dictates that Colby will financially support 

their students as needed to decrease barriers of access for 

internships at the Museum.

4/2019 - 

Present In Progress

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Memorandums of 

Understanding Formal

Internships

Program 

Diversity College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

50
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

Internship through 

AnBryce 

Foundation's Pillors 

of Excellence 

Internship Program

Maggie Crawford in the Programs and Audience Development 

team as well as Priya Menzies, Special Assistant, and the whole 

Director's Council mentored a high school intern through the 

AnBryce Foundation's Pillors of Excellence Internship Program.

7/2019 - 8/2019 Completed Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost NMAH

Increased 

Transparency of 

Internship 

Programs and 

Equitable 

Recruitment

The Museum's internship program created a more effective 

process and increased transparency regarding how mentors 

request internships for public recruitment and review applications 

equitably. Updating the website to include stipend information 

also allows applicants to make informed decisions about 

opportunities that are accessible to them, and there is also a 

purposeful increase in the frequency that stipends are given.

6/2019 - 

Present In Progress

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

See Me at the 

Museum

See Me at the Museum is a monthly interactive gallery program 

designed for people with dementia and their care partners. 

Monthly audiences alternate between people in home care and 

people living in care facilities. 

7/12/2019 and 

9/19/2019 – 

Ongoing Once a 

Month

In Progress

Individuals with Disabilities

No

Public Programming

Monthly museumbased program 

supported by the SI 

Office of Accessibility

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH Morning at The 

Museum

Morning at the Museum is a pre-opening program for children 

with neurocognitive disabilities, their siblings, and adults. 

Welcoming these visitors to the Museum while it is quieter and 

less crowded makes the experience less overwhelming. Many 

families go onto visit museums on their own.

OngoingApproximately 

Once a Year

In Progress

Individuals with Disabilities

No

Public Programming

Monthly SI-wide 

program supported 

by the SI Office of 

Accessibility

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

51
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH Inclusion Infusion

Inclusion Infusion is a collaborative project between Access 

Smithsonian and the National Museum of American History that 

offers an innovative package of tools and services to provide an 

autonomous, content-rich experience to visitors who are blind or 

have low vision. Inclusion Infusion includes raised line floor plans 

featuring braille-audio-text screen, Braille and large print takeaway guides, Aira– an accessibility service now available in the 

museum, and online verbal description tours.

6/2018 - 

Present In Progress

Individuals with Disabilities

Blind/Low Vision No Wayfinding and visitor experience

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Volunteer 

Recruitment

Through an internal connection, we have gone to the Washington 

English Center (WEC) to talk about volunteer opportunities here at 

NMAH. Through the Ambassador program we are able to provide 

not only the exciting opportunity to be a part of the Smithsonian 

and all the volunteer enrichments that go with it, but applicants 

bring with them their multilingual skills to the museum floor 

where they are able to assist visitors in their own languages. 

Successful applicants have expressed the additional appeal and 

success in volunteering with the Ambassador Corp as a way of 

practicing their English skills that they are learning through classes 

at the WEC. 

Winter 2018 

and Winter 

2019 Classes

Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Newly Immigrated Citizens and 

Temporary Residents without a 

Work Visa

No

Volunteer 

Opportunities

Language Resources

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

52
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

Innovative Lives: 

James West and 

Ellington West

Dr. James West, professor of engineering at Johns Hopkins 

University and inventor of the electret microphone used in over 90 

percent of electronics today, alongside his daughter and business 

partner Ellington West, CEO of Sonavi Labs, a company developing 

medical products that analyze body sounds for the diagnosis of 

disease, were invited to speak at The Lemelson Center’s signature 

public program series, Innovative Lives, which brings diverse 

audiences face-to-face with inventors and innovation leaders. 

Typically held on a weekday evening in Coulter Plaza at the 

National Museum of American History, Innovative Lives programs 

feature inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs from diverse 

technical and business fields speaking about their pioneering work 

and careers, including inspirations, successes, and challenges, all 

while framing a discussion around how members of the public can 

participate in innovation. Programs are intentionally informal, with 

the featured inventor(s) on stage with a moderator in a dialogue 

and discussion with the audience.

3/6/2019 Completed African Americans Yes Public Programming Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Innovative Lives: 

Merry Lynn Morris

Dr. Merry Lynn Morris, Assistant Director for the Dance Program at the 

University of South Florida and inventor of the Rolling Dance Chair for people 

with disabilities, was invited to speak at The Lemelson Center’s signature public 

program series, Innovative Lives, which brings diverse audiences face-to-face 

with inventors and innovation leaders. Typically held on a weekday evening in 

Coulter Plaza at the National Museum of American History, Innovative Lives 

programs feature inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs from diverse 

technical and business fields speaking about their pioneering work and careers, 

including inspirations, successes, and challenges, all while framing a discussion 

around how members of the public can participate in innovation. Programs are 

intentionally informal, with the featured inventor(s) on stage with a moderator 

in a dialogue and discussion with the audience. This panel was moderated by 

Beth Ziebarth, director of the Smithsonian Accessibility Programs.

5/1/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities Yes Public Programming Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

53
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

Innovative Lives: 

Impacts of Hip-Hop 

Culture and 

Innovation 

DJ J Rawls, instructor of Hip Hop, producer, DJ, and author of Youth Culture 

Power, and Martha Diaz, community organizer, media producer, archivist, 

curator, social entrepreneur, and adjunct professor at New York University's 

Gallatin School, were invited to speak at The Lemelson Center’s signature public 

program series, Innovative Lives, which brings diverse audiences face-to-face 

with inventors and innovation leaders. Typically held on a weekday evening in 

Coulter Plaza at the National Museum of American History, Innovative Lives 

programs feature inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs from diverse 

technical and business fields speaking about their pioneering work and careers, 

including inspirations, successes, and challenges, all while framing a discussion 

around how members of the public can participate in innovation. Programs are 

intentionally informal, with the featured inventor(s) on stage with a moderator 

in a dialogue and discussion with the audience. This program was moderated by 

Jon West-Bey, independent curator and museum consultant, and was 

presented in conjunction with the America Now festival celebrating Hip-Hop 

Culture.

6/22/2019 Completed African Americans Yes Public Programming Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Innovative Lives: 

Kathryn Sullivan

Kathryn Sullivan, astronaut and inventor, in conjunction with 

publication of Handprints on Hubble: An Astronaut’s Story of 

Invention, part of the Lemelson-MIT Press series, has been invited 

to speak at The Lemelson Center’s signature public program series, 

Innovative Lives, which brings diverse audiences face-to-face with 

inventors and innovation leaders. Typically held on a weekday 

evening in Coulter Plaza at the National Museum of American 

History, Innovative Lives programs feature inventors, innovators, 

and entrepreneurs from diverse technical and business fields 

speaking about their pioneering work and careers, including 

inspirations, successes, and challenges, all while framing a 

discussion around how members of the public can participate in 

innovation. Programs are intentionally informal, with the featured 

inventor(s) on stage with a moderator in a dialogue and discussion 

with the audience.

12/4/2019 Planned Women Yes Public Programming Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

54
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

Innoskate 2019 - 

London

The Innoskate education and outreach program is a unique and successful 

collaboration between the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, 

leaders of the skateboard community, and museum and university partners committed 

to inspiring diverse audiences to unleash their inherent creativity and inventive 

thinking. At the core of this dynamic education program are large, public Innoskate 

festivals that celebrate skateboarding’s history and culture to spark the imaginations 

of young people. Key elements include presentations and discussions with legendary 

skaters, inventors, scientists, engineers, and artists on topics ranging from 

neuroscience to street art; family-friendly hands-on invention and STEAM activities; 

art education projects; learn-to-skate clinics and skate demonstrations; acquisition of 

skate artifacts for museum collections; and of course, a live best-trick contest. The 

inaugural Innoskate festival took place in 2013 on the 10th anniversary of global Go 

Skateboarding Day. For 2019, the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center is creating its 7th 

Innoskate festival to be held at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, England on 

May 24-25 to complement the professional Street League Skateboarding Olympic 

Qualifying event at the Copper Box Arena. Aligning the Innoskate program with the SLS 

event provides a powerful opportunity to enhance the connection between SLS and 

the skateboarding community with the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park area – an 

emerging dynamic center of cultural and educational activity. Innoskate showcases the 

value of integrating an Olympic-level skateboarding competition with a cultural 

festival: it engages both skaters and non-skaters, of any age, in skateboarding’s 

innovative culture that make it so much more than just a sport. This special Innoskate 

program features the collective energy and expertise of its multiple collaborators 

including Autodesk, University College of London’s Bartlett School of Architecture, 

Here East, the London Legacy Development Corporation, the Chelsea and West Ham 

Football Clubs, and leaders of the skate community from the United States and 

England. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the U.S. Embassy in 

London, Autodesk, and the Smithsonian to make this event possible. The Innoskate 

team is excited to inspire young audiences, with a particular emphasis on engaging the 

youth of east London, to be active contributors to their society driven by technological 

change and to appreciate invention and innovation happen every day, often in 

unexpected places. 

5/24/2019 - 

5/25/2019 Completed

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

55
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

Recovering Diverse 

Voices in the 

History of Invention

The word “inventor” may conjure images of men like Thomas 

Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, but in reality inventors have 

and continue to come from every segment of society. Yet the 

stories of women, people of color, immigrants, people with 

disabilities, and others often have been overlooked, undervalued, 

and sometimes lost. This project focuses on these “hidden figures” 

in the history of invention, combining scholarly research and 

collecting with public outreach through exhibitions, programming, 

and publications to increase understanding of the work of diverse 

and underrepresented inventors. The goal is to create a replicable 

documentation strategy that can be used broadly to study various 

groups of inventors. 

Recovering Diverse Voices in the History of Invention will bring to 

light the important stories of inventors who have changed our 

lives in myriad ways and who illustrate a central tenet of the 

Lemelson Center: Everyone is inventive.

Spring 2019 – 

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Research and 

outreach

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH Picturing Women 

Inventors

The word “inventor” may conjure images of men like Thomas 

Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, but in reality inventors and 

innovators have and continue to come from every segment of 

society. Yet the stories of women, people of color, immigrants, 

people with disabilities, and others often have been overlooked, 

undervalued, and sometimes lost. This exhibition focuses on one 

segment of these underrepresented groups—women—to bring to 

light the important stories of these “hidden figures” who have 

changed our lives in myriad ways through their inventions and 

innovations.

3/2019 – 

Exhibition 

Opening May 

2020

In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Women

No Traveling Exhibitions

Exhibitions

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

56
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

Inventive Minds: 

Women Inventors

The word “inventor” may conjure images of men like Thomas 

Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, but the history of women 

inventors is as long as that of their male counterparts. The stories 

in this exhibition illustrate the creativity of women inventors over 

more than a century.

9/2019 – 

12/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Individuals with Disabilities

Women

No Exhibition Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Shout! (part of the 

History Alive! 

Theatre Program)

Visitors sing along with ring shouts of the Carolina and Georgia 

Lowcountry, which nourished the souls and buoyed the spirits of 

enslaved African Americans on rice plantations in the 19th century 

and inspired new forms of religious and secular music.

6/2019 - 9/2019 

(6 Times a 

Week)

In Progress African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Join the Student SitIns (part of the 

History Alive! 

Theatre Program)

This program transports visitors to a nonviolent protest training 

session a few weeks after the sit-in that occurred at the 

Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 

1960.

9/2018 - 9/2019

(6 Times a 

Week)

In Progress African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

NMAH All-Staff 

Meeting with Chris 

Taylor

The NMAH Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) 

Council invited Mr. Chris Taylor, then Chief Inclusion Officer at the 

Minnesota Historical Society, to present at an NMAH all-staff 

meeting the diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility work he 

led at his organization and the state of inclusion work in museums. 

He met afterwards with the IDEA council and the museum's senior 

leadership to further share his experiences.

10/04/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Presentation 

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

57
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMAH

NMAH Inclusion, 

Diversity, Equity 

and Accessibility 

Council

The NMAH Diversity Advisory Council was renamed the Inclusion, 

Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Council (IDEA) this year. Along 

with the name change, the Council updated its charter and issued 

a survey to gather information from staff and building tenants on 

the issues surrounding IDEA.

FY 2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

LGBTQIA+ Community

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Employee Affinity 

Groups

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Donation of APA 

Object

Donation presentation of the Marchesa dress from the movie 

"Crazy Rich Asians" at the first APAC fund raiser in Los Angeles. 

Office of Communications and Marketing worked on the media 

materials, collaborated on the run of show and worked with the 

PR firm on all publicity outreach.

5/18/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Collections Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH

Transcontinental 

Railroad Event

Office of Communications and Marketing set up a media event 

with a Congressional member that brought to life the stories of 

the Chinese railroad workers through the family history shared by 

descendants. This event was in conjunction with the opening of 

the Transcontinental Railroad display.

5/10/2019 Completed Asian Americans Yes Media event Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMAH External Ads

Posting external job ads to attract diverse candidates for curatorial 

positions. For example, ads were posted to the Association of 

African American Museums, American Association for People with 

Disabilities, Latin American Studies Association, League of United 

Latin American Citizens.

FY 2019 Completed

African Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

No Recruitment Workforce 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Provost NMNH Volunteer Program 1000 Public engagement and behind-the-scenes volunteers Ongoing Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

No

Collections

Education

Public Programming

Recruitment

Training

Volunteer 

Opportunities

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

58
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH

Tactile Highlights 

Tours for Visitors 

who are Blind or 

have Low Vision

Tactile tours are privately arranged tours led by specially trained 

volunteers that incorporate audio description techniques and 

objects that visitors who are blind or have low vision can touch.

FY 2019 - 

Ongoing

Planned Individuals with Disabilities No

Education

Public Programming

Volunteer 

Opportunities

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH non-English maps

Maps of the Museum are printed in languages other then English. 

Maps are now available in Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish. First 

maps were available in spring 2017.

FY 2019 - 

Ongoing In Progress HispanicsNon-English Speaking Visitors No Visitor Engagement Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

Insect Zoo Audio 

Description Project

NMNH Accessibility Program is overseeing the creation and use of 

an audio described tour of the Insect Zoo for visitors who are blind 

or have low vision

FY 2019 - 

Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities Yes Education Program Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

Conscious Inclusive 

Leadership Training 

Program

Provides training to NMNH managers to help them curtail 

unconscious bias and cultivate a more inclusive, equitable, diverse, 

and accessible workplace environment.

Ongoing Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Training

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

59
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH

Diversity, Inclusion, 

Accessibility, and 

Equity Advisory 

Council 

An advisory council is being created to advise the executive team 

on any and all topics related to diversity, inclusion, accessibility, 

and equity regarding the museum. 

FY 2019 - 

Ongoing

Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Employee Affinity 

Groups

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Big Ideas

Encourages creativity and inclusion within the museum from all 

levels of staff. In FY 2019 over 30 proposals were submitted, a 

large portion of which addressed the topic of diversity through 

research, hiring, education, and other methods. 

FY 2019 - 

Ongoing

Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Staff Input Program

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

Hiring Manager 

Diversification 

Toolkit

Ongoing creation of a toolkit to provide hiring managers with 

sources that will help them focus on diversity and avoid 

unconscious bias in every step of the hiring process. 

FY 2019 - 

Ongoing

Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Recruitment

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost NMNH

Diversity, Inclusion, 

Accessibility and 

Equity Internship

Creation of an internship that focuses on increasing diversity, 

inclusion, accessibility, and equity within the museum by working 

with HR and hiring managers to identify challenges and address 

them through a variety of strategies.

FY 2019 - 

Ongoing

Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

60
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH

I2F Diversity, 

Inclusion, 

Accessibility, and 

Equity Position

Creation of an internship to fellowship position that focuses on 

increasing diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and equity within the 

museum by working with HR and hiring managers to identify 

challenges and address them through a variety of strategies.

FY 2019 - 

Ongoing

Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Fellowships

Internships

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

Provost NMNH Diversity and 

Inclusion Education

A four module foundational educational program in the Museum’s 

Diversity and Inclusion Initiative. Strengthen leadership skills for 

increasing staff diversity and promote a culture of inclusiveness. 

Set out future uses as a part of the staff orientation with emphasis 

on leadership skills

2011 - Ongoing 

Program runs 

through 3 

months a year

Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Education

Training

Recruitment

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

Natural History 

Research 

Experiences (NHRE)

Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE) pairs undergraduate 

students with science mentors from natural history disciplines to 

complete an independent research project over a 10-week 

summer internship. The program has historically had success in 

placing individuals from groups otherwise under-represented in 

science.

5/28/2019 - 

8/2/2019 Completed

African Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Yes Internships Program 

Diversity College/University

Provost NMNH

Cultural Awareness 

and Humility and 

Implicit Bias 

sessions

 NMNH development team completed the program, which 

explored self awareness, understanding of self, and discussion of 

terminology, and definitions. Workshop also builds on awareness 

on the continuum of cultural understanding, work on norms, and 

introduce concepts of implicit bias and microaggressions using 

interactive tools. 

FY2019 - 

Ongoing

Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Education

Training

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

61
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH Diversity 

Recruitment 

Through the NMNH partnership with the Veterans Collections 

Program several veterans apply for collections jobs and filled one 

museum technician position with a veteran. Hired a Asian 

American Woman into the NMNH collections program.

We continue to employ one person with developmental 

disabilities.

FY2019 - 

Ongoing

Planned

Asian Americans

Individuals with Disabilities

Veterans

Yes Recruitment

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Outbreak Intern Internship to report on the demographics cultural aspects of the 

Latino community in DC.

6/10/2019 - 

7/26/2019 Completed Hispanics No Internships Workforce Diversity College/University

Provost NMNH Latino Community 

Liaison

The liaison facilitates close working relationships with Latino 

organizations to accomplish a number of objectives: 1) facilitating 

the creation and installation of Outbreak DIY exhibits at public 

venues, 2) recruiting museum internships for students, 3) 

promoting NMNH programs to the Latino community, 4) assisting 

NMNH staff on developing and implementing programs that are 

bilingual and culturally appropriate, both for Outbreak and school, 

youth, family, and adult programs.

10/28/2019 - 

Ongoing In-Progress Hispanics Yes Education Workforce Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH City Nature 

Challenge Bilingual citizen science bioblitz in DC 4/28/2019 Completed Hispanics Yes

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

Internship 2 

Fellowship 

Education and 

Outreach position

This new academic program from Office of Fellowships and 

Internships is a one- to two-semester opportunity for students 

who have recently completed a bachelors degree to come to the 

Smithsonian as an intern. This program offers a unique experience 

where part of the internship is learning to develop a fellowship 

proposal – with the intention that interns will return for a second 

semester as fellows. We hope this program helps to support the 

pipeline of museum studies/administration and research 

professionals as they explore what a career in this field requires. 

This program is supported by the Latino Center and the Asian 

Pacific American Center.

9/2019 - 5/2020 In-Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Career Counseling

Education

Fellowships

Internships

Public Programming

Recruitment

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

62
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH

Spanish-English 

bilingual family 

programs

As part of a strategy to engage local Washington DC area families, 

Education and Outreach offers Family Days in both English and 

Spanish language to support engagement of Latino families. These 

programs include bilingual volunteers and staff, bilingual signage 

and handouts, and targeted promotion.

2018 - 2019 In-Progress Hispanics Yes

Education

Public Programming

Volunteer 

Opportunities

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost NMNH

Smithsonian 

Science How

The SSH program puts scientists and natural history collections 

“into” classrooms nationwide and broadens access to students 

who otherwise might not visit the museum or have access to these 

Smithsonian resources. Priority audiences for the SSH program 

include underserved youth from Title I schools and students from 

under-resourced communities, including rural communities and 

states with the lowest performing school districts. Our most recent 

data indicates at least 74% of registered students are from Title I 

schools.

10/2018 - 

6/2019 In-Progress

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Education

Public Programming

Training

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost NMNH After Hours

NMNH's After Hours programming series offers a range of public 

programs to engage local adult audiences in natural history related 

topics. Programs are marketed to diverse audiences to expand 

engagement with under-served and under-represented 

communities. NMNH accessibility offerings are also clearly 

promoted to audiences and accessibility request are handled 

immediately.

10/2018 - 

9/2019 In-Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Career Counseling

Career Fairs

Collections

Education

Public Programming

Virtual Programming

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

After Hours Public 

Programs 

Volunteer

Volunteer opportunity for behind-the-scenes program assistance 

and assistance at After Hours public programs.

10/2018 - 

9/2019 In-Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Education

Recruitment

Volunteer 

Opportunities

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

63
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH Q?Crew Volunteer 

Program

Q?Crew teen volunteers are the passionate and enthusiastic face 

of the Museum, greeting and orienting visitors from around the 

world to Q?rius, the Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center 

at the National Museum of Natural History. Q?Crew teen 

volunteers encourage visitor exploration of natural history science 

and culture with fun, experimental and creative hands-on 

activities, and a collection of 6,000 objects. This program is a way 

for teens to obtain community service credit in an environment 

that allows them to connect with peers who share similar 

interests, learn more about the research that goes on behind the 

scenes in the Museum, and gain valuable public speaking and 

leadership skills. Each new Q?Crew teen is provided with training 

in communication techniques, science and natural history 

collections, and can participate in behind-the-scenes 

opportunities, workshops for skill-building, and teen socials.

6/2013 - 

Ongoing In-Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Education

Public Programming

Training

Volunteer 

Opportunities

Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grades)

Provost NMNH YES! Internship

YES! is a highly competitive, paid internship program that connects 

local teens with Smithsonian collections, experts, technology, and 

training. The program provides youth from communities in the 

Washington, D.C. Metro area that are traditionally 

underrepresented in science careers with the resources needed to 

familiarize them with science and to assist them in achieving the 

goal of attending college. For the past eight years, YES! has 

immersed teens in science research across the Smithsonian, and 

exposed them to a variety of STEM careers by giving them an 

opportunity to work side-by-side with Smithsonian science staff, 

researchers, and educators.

2010 - Ongoing In-Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Career Counseling

Education

Internships

Public Programming

Training

Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grades)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

64
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH Q?rius School 

Programs

Q?rius offers 60-minute pre-registered classes for students in 

grades 6-12 led by experienced Museum Educators for up to 35 

students at a time. Using objects, data, scientific equipment, and 

digital media, students complete a series of activities based on 

Smithsonian research. In the process, they investigate core ideas in 

nature and culture related to classroom curriculum. They gain 

critical skills in the practices of science by observing, documenting 

results, and justifying their conclusions with evidence.

12/2013 - 

Ongoing In-Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grades)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grades)

Provost NMNH

Q?rius yr.: a 

discovery room 

school programs

Q?rius yr. is a hands-on room featuring real Museum objects and 

artifacts. During the school year, Q?rius yr.: a discovery room 

offers programs for student groups in grades K-5 on Tuesdays, 

Thursdays, and Fridays at 10:15 and 11:30. All Q?rius yr. : a 

discovery room school programs are led by Museum staff, and 

designed to keep students on task for 45 minutes. Programs 

require a minimum of 15 students present to run, with a maximum 

of 30 students per program slot.

early 2000s - 

Ongoing In-Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grades)

Provost NMNH

Natural History 

Investigations: 

After School 

Programs for High 

School Students

The workshop series is an immersive introduction to natural 

history science, technology and careers. Students who complete 

the series will gain a deeper understanding of how science works, 

knowledge of basic collections research, and broadened 

perspectives about museums and informal learning. They will be 

able to demonstrate practical science skills, and come away with 

an awareness of the diversity of STEM career pathways.

1/2018-ongoing In-Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grades)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

65
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH Teen Night Out 

@Natural History

“Teen Night Out @Natural History” is a free after-hours event for 

Teens Only, after the museum has closed! The event provides high 

school students from the Washington, D.C. area with free food, 

musical entertainment, hands-on science stations run by Museum 

researchers, and booths advertising opportunities to get involved 

at Natural History. We encourage all teens to come early and stay 

as long as they like.

Annual

2017

2018

2019

Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Public Programming Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grades)

Provost NMNH Q?Crew Captains

Q?Crew Captains train and mentor the new cohort of Q?Crew 

volunteers, as well as current members of the Q?Crew program. 

Q?Crew Captains also assist the Youth Programs and Q?rius staff 

on the floor during both high and low volume days in Q?rius, The 

Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center. Q?Crew Captains 

work closely with a mentor from the Department of Education and 

Outreach on a special project related to activity or program design 

in Q?rius. Each Q?Crew Captain will sharpen their science and 

communication skills in the Q?rius Youth Leadership Training.

FY 2016 - 

Ongoing In-Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

Blue Morpho Activity 

(Bilingual 

Spanish/English)

A guided activity about the scientific process carried out in the 

museum using a blue morpho butterfly. It describes the research 

done using many different scientific tools and fields. It finishes by 

giving examples of the findings and their application of technology 

and engineering.

FY 2019 In-Progress Hispanics Yes

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Morning at the 

Museum

Morning at the Museum is a special program designed to help 

children with cognitive or sensory processing disabilities enjoy a 

visit to Smithsonian museums. The program allows access to 

collections and activities before the museums open to the public.

9/14/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K -

5th Grades)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grades)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grades)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

66
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

The NMNH Repatriation Office met with two members of the 

Munsee Delaware Nation, one member of the Stockbridge 

Munsee Band of the Mohican Indians, and one member each of 

the Delaware Tribe of Indians and the Delaware Nation of 

Oklahoma to discuss repatriation and visit collections.

10/17/2018 Planned Native Americans Yes

Collections

Repatriation 

Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Aleut Village 

Conference

Repatriation staff attended the Aleut Village conference in 

Anchorage, Alaska, when they met with two members of the Atka 

Native Village community members.

10/12/2018 Planned Native Americans No

Conference Hosted by 

Native Alaskan 

community

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with one member of the 

Munsee Delaware Nation, a member of the Stockbridge Munsee 

Band of Mohican Indians, the Delaware Tribe of Indians and a 

member of the Delaware Nation of Oklahoma.

10/17/2018 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation 

Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

National NAGPRA 

Review Committee 

Meetings

NMNH Repatriation staff attended the National Native American 

Grave Protection and Repatriation Act meetings and me with 

members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Osage Nation, the 

Lac du Flambeau Tribe, the Delaware Tribe of Indians, the 

Stockbridge Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, the Wanapum Band 

of Priest Rapids, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville 

Reservation.

10/17/2018 - 

10/19/2018 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Discussions

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

AAIA Repatriation 

Conference, 

Milwaukee, WI

NMNH Repatriation Office staff attended the AAIA Repatriation 

Conference and met with members of the White Mountain 

Apache, the Gabrielino (Tongva), the Choctaw Nation of 

Oklahoma, the Chickasaw Nation, the Southern Ute Tribe and the 

Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. 

11/12/2018 - 

11/16/2018 Planned Native Americans Yes Reparations Conference

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Meeting with the 

Hoonah Tlinglit

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the Hoonah 

Indian Association. 12/31/2018 Planned Native Americans No

Meeting with Native 

American Community 

Members

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with two members of the Nez 

Perce Tribe to discuss repatriation. 2/11/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

67
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with two members of the 

Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association to view collections and discuss 

repatriation..

2/12/2019 - 

2/15/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation staff met with two members of the Upper 

Sioux Community to view collections and discuss repatriation.

2/12/2019 - 

2/14/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with a member of the Hopi 

Nation to view collections and discussion repatriation.

2/12/2019 - 

2/13/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation staff met with members of the Zuni Tribe to 

view collections and discuss repatriation.

2/12/2019 - 

2/13/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the White 

Earth Nation to view collections and discuss repatriation.

2/12/2019 - 

2/14/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the Lac du 

Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians to view 

collections and discuss repatriation.

2/12/2019 - 

2/13/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the 

Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation to discuss 

repatriation 

2/15/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation 

Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with a member of the Lac du 

Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians to discuss 

repatriation.

2/15/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation 

Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the Haida 

Nation to discuss repatriation. 2/22/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the Graton 

Rancheria and the Cherokee Nation to view collections and discuss 

repatriation.

3/4/2019 - 

3/5/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH

Repatriation 

Consultation in 

California

Archaeology curator Torben Rick and NMNH Repatriation Office 

staff met with members of the California Santa Ynez Band of 

Chumash Indians to discuss funerary collections at the SI.

3/19/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation 

Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the 

Seminole Tribe of Florida to view collections and discuss 

repatriation.

3/5/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation 

Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the Zuni 

Tribe to discuss repatriation 4/4/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

68
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the Dokis 

First Nation/Nipissing First Nation to view collections. 4/8/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the Unga 

Tribe to visit collections and discuss repatriation. 4/9/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office staff met with members of the Ague 

Caliente Bank of Cahuilla Indians to discuss repatriation and visit 

collections.

4/12/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation 

Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office Staff met with members of the 

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to view collections and 

discuss repatriation.

4/13/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation 

Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office Staff met with members of the Coquille 

Tribe to view collections and discuss repatriation. 4/13/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office Staff met with members of the Santa 

Ana Pueblo to view collections and discuss repatriation. 4/2/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Consultation

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NMNH Repatriation 

Consultation

NMNH Repatriation Office Staff met with members of the Agua 

Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Gabrielino (Tongva) Nation, 

the Chickasaw Nation and the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo 

Indians at the Society for American Archaeology meetings. to 

view collections and discuss repatriation.

4/10/2019 - 

4/13/2019 Planned Native Americans No Repatriation Discussions

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NPG

Exhibition 

Brochures and 

Interactive Kiosks 

Translation

Translation of brochures and interactive kiosks accompanying 

temporary and permanent collection exhibitions

Ongoing - in FY 

2019 for “In MidSentence” and 

“One Life: 

Marian 

Anderson” 

exhibitions

In Progress Hispanics No Program Outreach Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

69
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NPG Accessibility 

Booklets

Large print English and Spanish Booklets and American Braille 

Booklets containing temporary and permanent collection 

exhibition texts and labels

Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Outreach Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost NPG Exhibition Labels 

Translation

Translation of Permanent Collection Galleries Exhibition Labels – 

Meserve Installation Spring 2019 In Progress Hispanics No Outreach Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost NPG

Exhibition Labels 

Translation

Translation of Permanent Collection Galleries Exhibition Labels -

Twentieth Century Galleries Cases and Pedestals

Summer 2019 

(Postponed to 

Summer 2020 

due to 

Government 

Shutdown)

In Progress Hispanics No Outreach Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost NPG

Website 

Translation 

(Additional 

languages—French, 

German, Italian, 

Arabic, Mandarin)

Website is translated into additional languages through the use of 

the Google Translate API FY 2020 Planned French, German, Italian, Arabic and Mandarin-speaking Individuals No Program Outreach Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost NPG Bi-lingual mobile 

devices audio tours

Mobile devices audio tour for permanent installations, Struggle for 

Justice and 20th Century Americans. Tours available in English and 

Spanish.

FY 2019 Completed Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities Yes Program Outreach Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

70
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NPG Mobile devices 

audio tours

Mobile devices audio tours/verbal description tours (English only) FY 2019 In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Program Outreach Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NPG Bi-lingual mobile 

devices tours (text)

Mobile device tours (text only) in English and Spanish: permanent 

and temporary exhibitions including: Votes for Women; Eye to I; 

Recent Acquisitions; The Struggle for Justice, 20th Century 

Americans; Bravo; Champions

FY 2019 Completed Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities Yes Program Outreach Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost NPG Internships

Various NPG departments accept OFI Minority Awards program 

interns as well additional OFI programs targeted to Applicants for 

the I2F (Internship to Fellowship) programs, and through regular 

internship opportunities.

Fall 2018 - 

Summer 2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Yes Internships Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost NPG Docent Programs

Diversify existing docents corps by adding 30 new docents, 10 of 

which are bilingual English/Spanish by adding tours with the main 

focus on Spanish tours (other bilingual tours may follow in the 

future) 

4/2019 - 4/2021 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Southeast Asian Americans

No Docent Programs Program 

Diversity College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

71
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost NPG

Historias De los 

Retratos Portrait 

Stories Partnership

This multi-visit program targets dual-language schools in DC. 

Teachers choose portraits sitters to be highlighted to coincide with 

a unit of study. Students choose an individual to write about and 

create a portrait of which are all compiled in a book. Each 

student receives a book at the end of the partnership.

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Southeast Asian Americans

No

Student Teacher 

Program

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost NPG Diversity & 

Inclusion Hired Public Affairs Specialist 1/2019 Completed Hispanics Yes Workforce Workforce Diversity College/University

Provost NPG Accessibility 

booklets

Large print English and Spanish Booklets and American Braille 

Booklets containing temporary and permanent collection 

exhibition texts and labels

Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities Yes booklets Supplier 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost NPG Morning at the 

Museum

Program for children with sensory and developmental disabilities 

and their families Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Family programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost NPG See Me at the 

Portrait Gallery

A monthly interactive tour of the museum that is tailored to 

individuals with dementia and their care partners. Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Youth & Adults Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost OFI

Hispanic 

Association of 

Colleges and 

Universities 

(HACU)32nd 

Annual Conference

OFI joined colleagues from around the institution to show the SI 

flag at the 32nd annual HACU National Conference in Atlanta, GA

10/6/2018 - 

10/8/2018 Completed Hispanics No

Career Counseling

Career Fairs

Internships

Fellowships

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost OFI

Meeting with 

University of Notre 

Dame Students

OFI hosted and offered a talk a group of students visiting from the 

University of Notre Dame 10/16/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No

Career Counseling

Fellowships

Internships

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

72
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost OFI

Presentation to NSF 

on Outreach OFI staff presented at a meeting of the NSF about outreach 10/29/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Career Fairs

Fellowships

Internships

Recruitment

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost OFI

HBCU Career 

Development 

Marketplace

OFI Staff Participated in the HBCU Career Development 

Marketplace in Washington, DC 11/9/2018 Completed African Americans No

Career Counseling

Career Fairs

Fellowships

Internships

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

Provost OFI

Latino Initiatives 

Internship to 

Fellowship (I2F) 

Programming

With support from SLC, OFI managed programming for the 2018-

2019 Latino Initiatives I2F Program

9/1/2018 - 

5/30/2019 In Progress Hispanics No InternshipsFellowships

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost OFI

Asian American 

Initiatives 

Internship to 

Fellowship (I2F) 

Programming

With support from APAC, OFI managed programming for the 2018-

2019 Asian American Initiatives I2F Program

9/1/2018 - 

5/30/2019 In Progress Asian Americans No InternshipsFellowships

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost OFI Support for Project 

SEARCH

OFI provided support for Project SEARCH interns, including hosting 

this year's cohort in our space during the partial government 

shutdown

1/2/2019 - 

1/25/2019 In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Internships Workforce Diversity College/University

Provost OFI

East Los Angeles 

College (ELAC) 

Open Doors 

Program

With colleagues from SLC, coordinated programming for a cohort 

of students doing internships at SI in January 2019 (in spite of the 

shutdown)

1/7/2019 - 

1/25/2019 Completed Hispanics No Internships Workforce Diversity College/University

Provost OFI Broadfutures 

Resume Workshop

OFI staff delivered a resume workshop to BroadFutures program 

participants. 2/520/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Career CounselingInternships

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

73
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost OFI

Conservation 

Internship for 

Broadening Access 

(CIBA)

OFI spearheaded programming for the CIBA internship, a pan-SI 

program that offers internship experiences to a diversity of early 

professional conservationists

10/1/2018 - 

9/30/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Internships

Recruitment

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

Provost OFI SAAA Internship OFI is working with the Smithsonian African American Association 

(SAAA) towards creating an SAAA Internship Program

Summer and 

Fall 2019 In Progress African Americans No

Internships

Employee Affinity 

Groups

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost OFI

Bowling Green 

State University 

Students

OFI hosted a group of students from Bowling Green State 

University to publicize various SI internship and fellowship 

opportunities

3/19/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Career Counseling

Internships

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost OFI OAR Video Worked with SE and OEEMA to produce a video highlighting 

diversity and inclusion at SI.

10/1/2018 - 

9/30/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Career Fairs

Fellowships

Internships

Supplier Diversity 

Outreach

Volunteer 

Opportunities

Supplier 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost OFI

U.S. Department of 

Education HBCU 

Initiative Internship 

Placements

OFI is working to place students supported by the U.S. Department 

of Education HBCU Initiative into internships at SI

6/1/2019 - 

8/30/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Internships Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

74
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost OFI

University of South 

Carolina Open 

Doors Program

Produced and managed program that brought a group of students 

to SI from the University of South Carolina for approximately 1 

month of programming.

5/1/2019 - 

6/30/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost OFI

University of 

Houston Grand 

Challenge 

Internship Program

Initiated and managed program that brought a group of students 

from the University of Houston for the purpose of conducting a 

short term internship

5/1/2019 - 

6/30/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Internships Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost OFI

The Minority 

Awards Internship 

and Fellowship 

Program

OFI managed program aimed at bringing interns and fellows from 

under represented communities to SI FY 2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Native Americans

No Internships Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost OFI

Convening of the 

Academic 

Appointment 

Diversity and 

Publicity Taskforce 

(AADAPT)

Spearheading activities of AADAPT, a pan-SI group that works to 

bring diversity to SI through academic appointments

10/1/2018 - 

9/30/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Career Fairs

Fellowships

Internships

Virtual Internships

Workforce 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost OFI

Meeting with 

Arizona State 

University

Meeting with ASU officials to explore potential SI-ASU 

partnerships. 5/30/2019 Completed Native Americans No

Memorandums of 

Understanding 

Informal

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

75
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost OFI

HBCU White House 

Initiatives 

Conference

OFI joined other SI units in representing SI opportunities during the 

White House HBCU Conference

9/9/2019 - 

9/10/2019 Completed African Americans Yes

Career Counseling

Career Fairs

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost SAAM

Love, Lilyan 

backpacks for 

students

Funded by an endowment from a former docent. Provides 

backpacks full of art supplies for underserved students in Title 1 

and FERS programs in DC, MA and VA schools. 

2013 - Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Hispanics

Historically Under-Sources

No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost SAAM Art Signs Lively ongoing series of gallery conversations in American Sign 

Language (ASL) led by deaf gallery guides. 2013 - Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Student Bus Grants Buses provided to bring students to the museum for field trips. 

Donor Funded. [do not confuse with Hearst program] 2014 - Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost SAAM Direct Carving

Exhibition by Karen Lemmey, curator of sculpture. Includes 24 

sculptures from across the twentieth century that showcase the 

direct carving method. Included are works by artists of diverse 

backgrounds, including African American and Native American.

2015 - Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Native Americans

No Exhibition Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

76
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM

American InSight: 

Verbal Description 

Tours

Ongoing series of tours for blind and visually impaired visitors, 

incorporating touch and verbal description. 2015 - Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Creating American 

Stories

On-going program of Hearst bus funding that enables school visits 

from under-represented areas. During this reporting period, 

included multi-visit school program with students from Capital City 

Public Charter School (47% Hispanic; 37% African American 

students).

2015 - Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Education Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost SAAM

Harlem Heroes 

Teaching Resource

To accompany the exhibition: 16-page guide for teachers has 

chapters on Debating Black Identity and Recording Black History. 

An in-depth look at the cultural history behind the creation of Van 

Vechten’s photographs and sitters. Printed and added as an online 

resource. 

2016 - Ongoing In Progress African Americans No

Education

Online program

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SAAM

Poster Set: The 

American 

Experience

18 x 24 teaching poster set. Printed and added as an online 

resource. Three of the ten posters feature works that highlight 

African American and Latino artists: Jacob Lawrence (2) and 

Antonio Martorell.

2017 - Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Hispanics

No

Education

Online program

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

77
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Museum Loan

Museum loan to exhibition "William L. Hawkins-An Imaginary 

Geography. Artwork lent to Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio 

(exhibition also traveling to Mingei International Museum, San 

Diego, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA, and The Columbus 

Museum, GA. Figge is organizer). Exhibition dates: 1/27/2018 – 

4/28/2019. Lent Hawkins: "Ohio State University Stadium."

1/27/2018 - 

4/28/2019 In Progress Self-taught No Exhibition Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Curatorial position

SAAM and the NMAI are the recipients of a new five-year term 

shared curatorial position, funded through the Smithsonian's 

Women's History Initiative. The curator will explore the historic 

relationship between gender and craft and how it informed two 

converging episodes of late 19th and early 20th century American 

art history. In particular the curator will explore the emergence of 

American Arts and Crafts as an aesthetic and social movement and 

a period of increasingly professionalized artistic practice and the 

recognition and promotion of female Native artists as exemplars 

of distinctively "American" craft production.

6/2018 - 

Ongoing In Progress

Native Americans

Women

No workforce Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum loan

Lent Charles White's drawing "Untitled" to Art Institute of 

Chicago's exhibition, "Charles White: A Retrospective; " and lent 

Walter Rosenblum photograph of Charles White, from the photo 

archives, to MOMA for this traveling exhibition. 

6/8/2018 - 

6/9/2019 In Progress African Americans No Other Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Fellowship Program 

Diversity Statistics

For class of 2018/2019, achieved diversity rate of 33%. Of the 18 

fellows, there is 1 Asian American; 2 African American; and 3 

Latino.

6/2018 - 9/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Fellowships Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost SAAM Museum loan

William H. Johnson painting titled "I Baptize Thee," lent to Georgia 

Museum of Art (Athens, GA) for their exhibition: "Vernacular 

Modernism: The Photography of Doris Ulmann," 8/25/2018-

5/31/2019. 

8/25/2018-

5/31/2019 In Progress African Americans Yes Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

78
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM

Pre-program 

Conservation 

Interns

Previous CIBA interns Tamara Dissi and Kiera Hammond served as 

pre-program volunteers to complete treatment of Tuskegee 

University 1940 diorama at Lunder.

9/1/2018 - 

10/31/2018 Completed African Americans No

Education

Internships

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost SAAM Museum loan

Sam Gilliam painting titled "April 4," lent to the Brooklyn Museum 

(NY) for their exhibition "Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black 

Power," 9/7/2018-2/3/2019.

9/7/2018 - 

2/3/2019 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Intern Program

For Advanced Level Program, achieved diversity rate of 31%. Of 

the 19 interns, 1 is African-American; 3 are Asian-American; and 2 

are Hispanic.

8/10/2018 - 

4/12/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Internships Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost SAAM Down These Mean 

Streets

E. Carmen Ramos, SAAM's Curator of Latino Art, organized this 

exhibition which explores the work of ten photographers—Manuel 

Acevedo, Oscar Castillo, Frank Espada, Anthony Hernandez, Perla 

de Leon, Hiram Maristany, Ruben Ochoa, John Valadez, Winston 

Vargas, and Camilo José Vergara. The exhibition is currently on 

view at the Museo del Barrio in NYC from 9/13/2018 through 

1/6/2019. Ramos provided educator training and a VIP tour at the 

museum on 9/12/2018. 

9/13/2018 - 

1/6/2019 In Progress Hispanics No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Between Worlds: 

The Art of Bill 

Traylor

 This exhibition, organized by Leslie Umberger, Curator of Folk and 

Self-Taught Art, is the first major retrospective organized for the 

artist Bill Traylor (ca. 1853-1949). Traylor is the only known 

person born into slavery to make a significant collection of 

paintings and drawings. 

9/28/2018-

3/17/2019 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Between Worlds: 

The Art of Bill 

Traylor Teaching 

Resource

To accompany the exhibition: guide for teachers has biographical 

information on the artist as well as historical context. The activities 

in this resource help students consider possible multiple readings 

of Traylor’s work and challenge students to question the 

perspectives and stories hidden within or missing from the telling 

of American history. Online resource. 

9/2018 - 

Ongoing In Progress African Americans No

Education

Online resource

Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

79
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM

Conservation for 

works by Alma 

Thomas

Conservation has been awarded $35,000 to conduct innovative 

research on the process behind the abstract paintings by 

renowned artist Alma Thomas (1891-1978). Chief of Conservation 

Amber Kerr and Paintings Conservator Gwen Manthey have met 

with both researchers and Friends of Alma Thomas donor group to 

share the research as it develops.

10/1/2018 - 

Ongoing In Progress African Americans No

Collections

Education

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM See Me at SAAM Ongoing series of tours for visitors with memory loss and their 

care partners; Wednesday afternoons at 2 pm.

10/3/2018 - 

Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Education Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Diorama All Staff 

Presentation

Lunder Program Coordinator Laura Hoffman presented Lunder's 

conservation work and outreach efforts to treat the 1940 diorama 

on the contributions of African Americans from the Tuskegee 

University collection in SAAM's October all staff meeting.

10/3/2018 Completed African Americans No

Education

Internships

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Triple Take: Gallery 

Talk

Three Smithsonian experts, Karen Lemmey, Paul Marinari and Emil 

Her Many Horses, discuss the natural history of the buffalo, its 

significance to native people and its place in American art.

10/9/2018 Completed Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM TBMA Lunder 

Fellowship

Time-Based Media Lunder Conservation Fellowship awarded to 

Shu-Wen Lin.

10/15/2018 - 

10/14/2019 In Progress Asian Americans No Education Workforce Diversity

Masters

Provost SAAM Museum loan

Paul Crite, Malvin Gray Johnson, and 3 William H. Johnson works 

lent to Columbus Museum of Art (Columbus, Ohio) for exhibition 

"I, Too, Sing America: The Harlem Renaissance at 100."

10/19/2018 - 

1/20/2019 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum loan Laura Wheeler Waring and 3 William H. Johnson works to Musee 

D'Orsay for exhibition "The Black Model."

10/24/2018 - 

7/14/2019 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

80
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Dia de los Muertos 

Family Day

Celebration of Day of the Dead, with Mexican folk dance 

performances and handmade craft offerings. 10/28/2019 Completed Hispanics No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Disrupting Craft: 

Renwick 

Invitational 2018

This exhibition and accompanying publication presents the work of 

four artists who are challenging conventional definitions of craft, 

imbuing it with a renewed sense of emotional purpose, 

inclusiveness, and activism. The show features a number of artists 

of color: Sharif Bey (African American); Tanya Aguiniga (Latinx); 

Stephanie Syjuco (Asian American).

11/2018 - 

5/5/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Exhibition Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Double Take: 

Gallery Talk

On the occasion of the exhibition, Between Worlds: The Art of Bill 

Traylor, SAAM curator Leslie Umberger and folklorist Diana 

N'Diaye discuss the significance that clothing and personal 

adornment play in Traylor's work and in African American history 

and culture.

11/6/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Edmonia Lewis 

sculpture tour

Karen Lemmey, curator of sculpture, led a tour of Edmonia Lewis's 

works at SAAM for 20 National Gallery of Art employees for Native 

American Heritage month. 11/14/2018 Completed African AmericansNative Americans

No Other Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Extended CIBA 

Internship

CIBA intern Miguel Resendiz completed paintings rotation at 

Lunder as part of funded extension of CIBA internship to continue 

his pre-program conservation training. 

11/1/2018 - 

12/31/2018 Completed Hispanics No Internships Workforce Diversity College/University

Provost SAAM Museum loan Gordon Parks photo to National Gallery of Art for exhibition: 

Gordon Parks: The New Tide, 1940-1950.

11/4/2018 - 

4/26/2020 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

81
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Museum loan

William H. Johnson painting titled Street Life, Harlem, lent to 

Wallraf-Richartz-Museum and Foundation, Corboud, Koln, 

Germany for exhibition: "Once Upon A Time in America: Three 

Centuries of American Art."

11/23/2018 - 

3/24/2019 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Gallery Talk

Joanna Marsh led this gallery talk focusing on a recent acquisition 

by African American artist Fred Wilson, titled: I Saw Othello's 

Visage in his Mind (2013).

11/28/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Bill Traylor - Tour 

for Justice 

Department 

Curatorial tour led by Leslie Umberger of Between Worlds: The Art 

of Bill Traylor, for staff of the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights 

Division, Educational Opportunities Section, who “work(s) to 

ensure educational opportunities for African-American students 

whose families have often been written off for generations as 

lacking intellectual potential. Understanding the complex interior 

emotions that actuated Bill Traylor, who came from a similar 

background, is very important to our work.”

12/4/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

21st Century 

Consort: Between 

Worlds: The Art of 

Bill Traylor

The 21st Century Consort, SAAM's musicians-in-residence, 

performed new and original works inspired by the exhibition, 

Between Worlds: The Art of Bill Traylor, including music infused 

with cultural influences of Traylor's era such as David Baker and 

Thomas Jefferson Anderson. The Consort performed an original 

composition by 13 year old Isai Rabiu who drew inspiration from 

Traylor's family's experience of slavery.

12/8/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Conservation 

Gallery Talk: The 

Art of Bill Traylor

Paper Conservator Catherine Maynor details treating Bill Traylor's 

painting and drawings on discarded paperboard in two gallery 

talks.

12/14/2018 and 

2/1/2019 In Progress African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Saturday Academy 

Family Visit

Students and parents from DCPS's Bancroft Elementary school 

were invited to the Renwick Gallery to learn about the different 

reading strategies to implement at home in both English and 

Spanish.

12/15/2018 Completed

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

82
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Disrupting Craft 

with Global Kids

Global Kids serves 4 DCPS high schools with programming focused 

on global learning and youth development that works to ensure 

that youth from underserved areas have the knowledge, skills, 

experiences and values they need to succeed in school, participate 

effectively in the democratic process, and achieve leadership in 

their communities and in the world. GK reports a typical student 

population of 50% Black, 30% Hispanic, 9% Asian. 60-minute, after 

school tour.

12/20/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Education Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SAAM Extended CIBA 

Internship

Extension of CIBA internship award to Tamara Dissi, who will be 

working at Lunder and Freer/Sackler to continue her pre-program 

conservation training.

1/1/2019 - 

7/30/2019 In Progress

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost SAAM

Between Worlds: 

The Art of Bill 

Traylor - 

Symposium

Exhibition curator Leslie Umberger leads a distinguished group of 

scholars who provides new insight and information about how 

Traylor's visual record of African American life gives larger 

meaning to the story of the nation.

2/22/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Wikipedia Edit-athon

Group of Wikipedia volunteers created new articles on African 

American artists represented in SAAM's collection. 2/17/2019 Completed African Americans No

Collections

Heritage Month 

Programming

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Film: Black is the 

Color

Film documentary that looks at African American art from 1867 to 

today, including Edmonia Lewis's 1867 sculpture "Forever Free," 

and the work of Kerry James Marshall and Jean-Michel Basquiast. 

Before the film, Jason Nichols, hip-hop artist and lecturer at the 

University of Maryland performs an opening rap. Following the 

screening, Myrtis Bedolla, Founder and Director of Myrtis Galerie 

Baltimore, Tuliza Fleming, Curator of American Art at the National 

Museum of African American History and Culture, and Curlee 

Holton, Executive Director, David C. Driskell Center and 

Distinguished Artist in Residence discuss the film.

2/9/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

83
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Museum loan

William H. Johnson: Jitterbugs I, Blind Musician, and Jitterbugs III, 

all three oil on plywood to Addison Gallery of American Art, 

Andover, MA, for their show “Harlem: In-Situ” 

3/30/2019 - 

7/31/2019 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Teacher Resource "Between Two Worlds: The Art of Bill Traylor," a new 36-page 

guide for teachers, available on SAAM's website. 3/2019 In Progress African Americans No Education Program Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SAAM Student 

Programming

Hear Me: Speaking Up in a World in Motion, explores migration 

themes. Bilingual (English/Spanish) performance of Óyeme, the 

Beautiful explores the experience of two teens who have escaped 

violence in Central America to pursue their dreams in the United 

States. Pre-performance exhibition gallery activities in the 

exhibition Tiffany Ching: Vietnam, Past is Prologue considers how 

one contemporary artist draws on her own South Vietnamese 

family's experience of the Vietnam War to amplify refugees' voices 

today.

3/22/2019 Completed Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Education;#Public 

Programming

Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SAAM

Distance Learning: 

Artful Connections: 

African American 

Artists

Videoconference programs, 301 participants 1/1/2019 - 

3/31/2019 Completed African Americans No

Education

Virtual Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Distance Learning: 

Artful Connections: 

American Indians

Videoconference programs, 110 participants 1/1/2019 - 

3/31/2019 Completed Native Americans No

Education

Virtual Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

84
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM

Distance Learning: 

Artful Connections: 

Latino Art and 

Culture

Videoconference programs, 107 participants 1/1/2019 - 

3/31/2019 Completed Hispanics No

Education

Virtual Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

African American 

art in the 20th 

Century from the 

Smithsonian 

American Art 

Museum

African American Art in the 20th Century, a traveling exhibition 

organized by SAAM's Chief Curator Virginia Mecklenberg and 

drawn largely from SAAM's permanent collection, presents a 

selection of 50 paintings, sculpture, and prints by thirty-six black 

artists who explored the African American experience from the 

Harlem Renaissance through the Civil Rights era. On Feb. 22nd, in 

conjunction with the opening, Virginia Mecklenberg presented a 

lecture at the Dubuque Museum of Art (Iowa). The show travels 

to cities across the United States, including Dubuque and the 

Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Winter Park, Florida, 9/20/2019-

12/29/2019. Partial funding for the project was provided by Art 

Bridges.

1/19/2019 - 

12/29/2019 In Progress African Americans No Traveling Exhibitions Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Women Directors 

Film Festival: 

Visionaries, Then 

and Now

In celebration of Women's History month, an all-day film festival 

highlighting the visionary work of women film directors across 

time, space and creative contexts.

3/30/2019 Completed Women No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Bill Traylor: Chasing 

Ghost Film 

Screening

Documentary film on the life and work of artist Bill Traylor who 

was born into an enslaved family in rural Alabama. 3/2/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Tiffany Chung: 

Vietnam, Past is 

Prologue

Exhibition of artwork that responds to the Vietnam War and its 

legacy on the culture and population of the United States. The 

exhibition features a new series of video interviews with former 

Vietnamese refugees in Houston, Texas, Southern California, and 

Northern Virginia.

3/15/2019 - 

9/2/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Exhibition Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

85
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM

Double Take with 

Melissa ho and 

Harry Rubenstein

Gallery Program on the influence of mass media on America art 

and politics during the Vietnam War era, presented in association 

with the exhibition "Artists Respond: American Art and the 

Vietnam War."

4/9/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Film Screening: The 

Anderson Platoon

Documentary film focusing on American soldiers and their 

adjustment to a profoundly foreign environment and the day-today realities of war against an often unseen adversary. Post-film 

conversation with Joseph Anderson, one of the military officers 

featured in the film.

4/17/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Art Bites Gallery talk on Joe Minter's "The Dreamer" (2005) 4/26/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Wikipedia Edit-aThon on Feminism 

and the Arts

Wikipedia volunteers improve coverage of women artists in 

Wikipedia. Participants took part in a tour of the remarkable 

women artists in SAAM's collection. 3/10/2019 Completed Women No

Public Programming

Education

Collections

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Artists Respond: 

American Art and 

the Vietnam War, 

1965-1975

Exhibition on how the Vietnam War changed American Art 3/15/2019 - 

8/18/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Exhibition Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Artists Respond: A 

Symposium

A Day of discussions and lectures on topics related to the 

exhibition "Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 

1965-1975." Six artists in the exhibition discuss their experiences 

during the Vietnam War period, and scholars provide insight on 

how Vietnam era artists sought to engage the public sphere.

3/15/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Gallery talk with 

Melissa Ho

Curator guides visitors through the exhibition "Artists Respond: 

American Art and Vietnam War, 1965-1975," describing the 

contemporary impact of the Vietnam War on American Art. 3/28/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

86
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Cherry Blossom 

Celebration

Celebration of Japanese culture with a talk and drumming 

performance followed by Japanese music and performances. 3/23/2019 Completed Asian Americans No

Heritage Month 

Programming

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Art Bites Gallery talk on Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith's "State Names" (2000) 3/22/2019 Completed Native Americans

Women

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Film Screening: In 

the Year of the Pig

Documentary film featuring archival footage, interviews, and 

historical images to convey the colonial involvement in Vietnam. 

It examines the war's historical roots to chronicle America's 

escalating involvement in this divisive conflict. 

5/10/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Dicke 

Contemporary 

Artist Lecture with 

Tiffany Chung

Artist Tiffany Chung explores conflict and migration in the wake of 

political and natural upheavals. 5/2/2019 Completed Asian Americans

Women

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Returns, Refugees, 

and Refusal: Art, 

War Memory, and 

the Politics of 

Representation 

with Viet Le

Assistant professor of visual studies at California College of Arts 

Viet Le discusses representation and memory, offering his 

perspective on contemporary art and the legacy of the Vietnam 

War,

5/23/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Double Take with 

Sarah Newman and 

Lawrence -Minh 

Bui Davis

Gallery Program on the lasting impact of the Vietnam War on 

Southeast Asian Americans, presented in association with 

exhibition "Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past Is Prologue." 5/9/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Fellows 2019 

Lecture

"Incendiary Pictures: The Radical Visual Rhetoric of American 

Abolition in the 1830s" 5/22/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

87
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Fellows 2019 

Lecture

"Free Here: Contingent Emancipation in Thomas Waterman 

Wood's Baltimore Paintings" 5/22/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Fellows 2019 

Lecture

"Free on Carolina's Shore: Xanthus Smith's Picturesque 

Reconstruction in the Sea Islands" 5/22/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Fellows 2019 

Lecture

"Set in Stone: Civil War Monuments and the Paradox of 

Permanence" 5/22/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Fellows 2019 

Lecture

"Healing, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation: Remembering Slavery in 

the Republic of Benin, Richmond, and Liverpool" 5/22/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Fellows 2019 

Lecture "Song of the Soil: Horace Pippin's I's Comin'" 5/23/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Fellows 2019 

Lecture "Masked Moderns: Northwest Coast Native Art beyond Revival" 5/23/2019 Completed Native Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Art Bites Gallery talk on Frank Romero's "Death of Ruben Salazar" (1986) 5/31/2019 Completed Hispanics No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM "American Art" 

(Spring 2019)

Vanessa Meikle Schulman's article "Visualizing Race at the Polling 

Place: Thomas Waterman Wood's American Citizens" Spring 2019 Completed African Americans No Publication Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Countdown: Pride 

celebration Kick-Off 

Party

SAAM BYT and the Capital Pride Alliance celebrate out LGBTQ+ 

communities and launch the 2019 Capital Pride celebration with 

music, dancing, and art activities. 5/31/2019 Completed LGBTQIA+ Community No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Pride @ SAAM

A full day of LGBTQ+ inspired art, performances, music, painting, 

video, and oral histories. Featured in gallery collection talks by 

curator Saisha Grayson and curatorial researcher Claudia Zapata, 

performance about Pulse Nightclub shooting by Brenden 

Fernandes, and screenings of lesbian film icon Barbara Hammer 

and gender-fluid artists Wu Tsang and Sadie Benning. 

6/9/2019 Completed LGBTQIA+ Community No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

88
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Gallery talk with 

Sarah Newman

Curator guides visitors through the exhibition "Tiffany Chung: 

Vietnam, Past Is Prologue," describing how Chung's multimedia 

works explore migration, conflict, and shifting geographies in the 

wake of the Vietnam War.

6/26/2019 Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Wikipedia Edit-aThon: LGBTQ+ 

Edition

Wikipedia volunteers improve coverage of LGBTQ+ artists. 

Participants take part in a special tour of work in SAAM's collection 

by LGTBQ+ artists. 6/15/2019 Planned LGBTQIA+ Community No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Art Bites

Gallery talk on Paul Thek's "Warrior's Leg" from the series 

Technological Reliquaries (1966-67) on loan from the Hirshhorn 

Museum and Sculpture Garden

6/28.2019 Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Intern Program Summer interns (30 students): African American 3%, Asian 

American 13%, Latinx 27%

6/10/2019 - 

8/2/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No

Education

Internships

Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost SAAM

Ginny Ruffner: 

Reforestation of 

the Imagination

Immersive installation featuring drawings, glass, and augmented 

reality components by artist Ginny Ruffner

6/28/2019 - 

1/5/2020 Planned Individuals with Disabilities No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Michael Sherrill: 

Retrospective

Retrospective exhibition on the work of North Carolina artist 

Michael Sherrill

6/28/2019-

1/5/2020 Planned Individuals with Disabilities No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

William H. Johnson 

in Scandinavia and 

African American 

Art in the 20th 

Century Exhibition 

Planning

Director Stephanie Stebich and Chief Curator Virginia Mecklenburg 

met with officials of Danish and Norwegian museums to discuss 

collaborations on traveling shows including a William H. Johnson 

and African American Art in the 20th Century

6/17/2019 - 

6/21/2019 Planned African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

89
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM

Skin Deep: Race 

and American 

Sculpture 

Exhibition Planning 

Workshop

Sculpture curator Karen Lemmey hosted 49 scholars from around 

the country for a workshop devoted to the subject of race and 

sculpture in preparation for an upcoming exhibition. 6/10/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

No Exhibition Program 

Diversity

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum Loan

Melesio Casas' "Humanscape 62" and Judith Baca's "Las Tres 

Maria" lent to the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, 

Durham, NC for their exhibition "Pop America: Contesting 

Freedom, 1965-1975." (Tour: McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, 

TX and Block Museum of Art, Evanston, IL)

10/4/2018 - 

12/8/2019 In Progress Hispanics No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum Loan

Gordon Parks' "Untitled, Chicago, Illinois" lent to Cleveland 

Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH for the exhibition "Gordon Parks: 

The New Tide, 1940-1950."

3/16/2019 - 

6/9/2019 Completed African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum Loan

Sam Gilliam's "April 4" lent to The Broad Museum, Los Angeles, CA 

for their exhibition "Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black 

Power."

3/23/2019 - 

9/1/2019 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum Loan

William H. Johnson's "Blind Musician," Jitterbugs III" and 

"Jitterbugs I," lent to the Addison Gallery of American Art, 

Andover, MA for their exhibition "Harlem; In Situ."

3/29/2019 - 

7/31/2019 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum Loan

Felrath Hines' "Yellow and Gray" lent to the Indiana State 

Museum, Indianapolis, IN for their exhibition "A Universal 

Language: The Art of Felrath Hines." 

6/22/2019 - 

9/29/2019 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum Loan

William H. Johnson's "Marian Anderson" lent to the National 

Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC for their exhibition "One Life: 

Marian Anderson."

6/6/2019 - 

6/17/2020 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Mornings at the 

Museum

A sensory-friendly program for children, teenagers, and young 

adults with disabilities. The program includes early entry into the 

museum, facilitated and thematic activities, a take-a-break space, 

and pre-visit materials like social narratives and sensory maps.

2019 - Ongoing In Progress Individuals with Disabilities No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

90
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Film Screening: A 

Not So Still Life

Documentary film on glass artist Ginny Ruffner who survived a 

near-fatal car accident and two-month long coma. The film 

explores her life and work before the accident, her recovery, her 

reinvention, and renewed success in the art world.

7/11/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Film Screening: 

North Star

Documentary film about artist Mark di Suvero as he create his 

sculptures reflecting on the Vietnam War. 7/13/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Take 5! Jazz 

Performances

Vocalist Integriti Reeves celebrates the music of Nat "King" Cole 

who would have turned 100 this year. 7/18/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Film Screening in 

the Year of the Pig

Documentary film combining historical footage of the Vietnam 

War and interviews with prominent figures of the time. 7/24/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

American Art 

(Summer 2019)

Charles Brock's article "Toward a History of Modernism in 

Washington: The 1933 Display of Art by African Americans at the 

Smithsonian Institution's National Gallery of Art"

Summer 2019 Completed African Americans No Publication Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost SAAM American Art 

(Summer 2019)

Tobias Wofford's article "Perspectives on the 1933 Exhibition: 

Herring, Locke, and Porter" Summer 2019 Completed African Americans No Publication Program Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost SAAM American Art 

(Summer 2019)

Michele Gates Moresi's article "Exhibiting the Negro: Art and 

Anthropology in the National Museum, 1929-33" Summer 2019 In Progress African Americans No Publication Program Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost SAAM American Art 

(Summer 2019)

Seth Feman's article "Student Art in the United States National 

Museum: Progressive Education on Display" Summer 2019 Completed African Americans No Publication Program Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost SAAM American Art 

(Summer 2019)

John A. Tyson's "Politics of the Press: Newspapers and the 

Representation of Art by African Americans in the Nation's 

Capitol"

Summer 2019 Completed African Americans No Publication Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

91
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM SAAM Arcade 2019

This year's theme "breaking barriers" within the gaming industry 

and beyond highlights diverse and inclusive games from 

underrepresented creators. In the keynote address, Tonya De Pass 

spoke about the importance of diversity in gaming.

8/4/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Take 5! Jazz 

Performances

Bassist Tyrone Allen celebrates the 80th birthday of legendary DC 

bassist Butch Warren 8/15/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Art Bites Gallery talk on "Death of Cleopatra" (1876) by Edmonia Lewis 8/23/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Artist Talk with 

Michael Sherrill

Discussion with Michael Sherrill about his work on view in the 

exhibition "Michael Sherrill Retrospective" 9/12/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Conservation Talk

Lunder Conservation Fellow Shu-Wen Lin discusses the technical 

challenges in documenting and preserving SAAM's collection of 

video games

9/13/2019 Completed Asian Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Nature Walk with 

Michael Sherrill, 

Golden Triangle 

BID, and 

Smithsonian 

Gardens

Walking tour around the Renwick Gallery's Golden Triangle 

neighborhood with artist Michael Sherrill, horticulturist James 

Gagliardi from Smithsonian Gardens, and David Suls, senior 

director of planning and policy at the Golden Triangle BID. The 

tour will examine the innovative rain garden landscaping in the 

neighborhood.

9/13/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Intern Program Advanced Level Internship Program 2019/2020 (20 interns): 

African American 10%, Asian American 20%; Latinx 5% 

9/6/2019 - 

4/13/2020 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Internships Workforce 

Diversity College/University

Provost SAAM Fellowship Program Class of 2019/2020 (22 fellows): African American 5%, Asian 

American 9%; Latinx 9% 

9/3/2019 - 

8/31/2020 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Fellowships Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

92
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM Museum Profession 

Day

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is partnering with the 

American Alliance of Museums for a free, table-top museum 

career fair. Network with professionals from more than 20 

Smithsonian museums and other organizations in the mid-Atlantic 

region to learn about the wide array of career possibilities in a 

museum – from being a curator to a lighting designer to a financial 

analyst, and more. From 3 to 5PM, museum professionals will 

critique participants’ resumes in five minute increments on a first 

come, first served basis. The keynote address will be given by Dr. 

Tonya Matthews, Interim Director of Inclusion at the American 

Alliance of Museums.

9/16/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Career Fairs;#Career 

Counseling

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

Provost SAAM

Modern American 

Realism Gallery 

Talk

Curator Virginia Mecklenburg presented a talk at the Nantucket 

Historical Association in conjunction with the touring exhibition 

"Modern American Realism, Selections from the Sara Roby 

Foundation Collection." The talk featured the work of Jacob 

Lawrence, Paul Cadmus, Bernard Perlman, and Nancy Grossman.

8/13/2019 Completed African Americans

LGBTQIA+ Community

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

African American 

Art in the 20th 

Century

African American Art in the 20th Century, a traveling exhibition 

organized by SAAM's Chief Curator Virginia Mecklenberg and 

drawn from SAAM's permanent collection, presents a selection of 

50 paintings, sculpture, and prints by thirty-six black artists who 

explored the African American experience from the Harlem 

Renaissance through the Civil Rights era. Traveling exhibition 

opens at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College, Winter 

Park, Florida on Sept 20th.

9/20/2019 - 

12/29/2019 In Progress African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Poster Set: A 

Woman's Place Is in 

the Curriculum

A joint initiative with NPG, this AWHI-funded teaching poster set 

highlights the stories of six women of color.

9/2019 - 

12/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

Women

No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

93
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM

Art + Text Activity, 

Summer Teacher 

Institutes

Four, one hour teacher trainings focused on pairing artwork by 

Mickalene Thomas with "A Raison in the Sun" by Lorraine 

Hansberry

7/9/2019 & 

7/23/2019 Completed African Americans No Teacher Workshops Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Art + Text Activity, 

WISSIT Program

Two, two hour teacher trainings focused on pairing artworks by 

Miriam Schapiro with "Poet X" by Elizabeth Acevedo. 7/31/2019 Completed African AmericansHispanics

No Teacher Workshops Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

DC Public Schools, 

Adverse Childhood 

Experiences (ACE) 

Fellows Program

One hour teacher training with DC public school teachers 

dedicated to exercising social emotional learning skills and 

strategies in support of students with Adverse Childhood 

Experiences

8/5/2019 Completed African Americans

Individuals with Disabilities No Teacher Workshops Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

PG County Public 

Schools, In-Service 

Program

Four, one hour teacher trainings focused on Renwick collection 

items. PG County public school student demographics are Black or 

African American (57%) and Hispanic/Latino (34%) with the art 

teacher population mirroring the student population.

8/23/2019 Completed African Americans

Hispanics

No Teacher Workshops Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Minority Awards 

Internship Program

The time-based media curator Saisha Grayson supervised a gendernonconforming MA student as part of MAPS program6/4/2019 - 

8/9/2019 Completed LGBTQIA+ Community No Internships Program Diversity College/University

Provost SAAM Lecture on Saya 

Woolfalk

The time-based media curator Saisha Grayson delivered a lecture 

at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City on Saya 

Woolfalk, whose work engages her Japanese and African American 

hybrid identity

8/29/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Women

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Distance Learning 

Program: Artful 

Connections, 

African American 

Artists

Classroom Videoconference program on African American Artists, 

13 participants

7/1/2019 - 

9/30/2019 Completed African Americans No

Education

Virtual Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

94
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM

Distance Learning 

Program: Artful 

Connections, 

American Indians

Classroom Videoconference program on American Indians, 53 

participants

7/1/2019 - 

9/30/2019 Completed Native Americans No

Education

Virtual Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Distance Learning 

Program: Artful 

Connections, Latino 

Art and Culture

Classroom Videoconference program on Latino Art and Culture, 30 

participants

7/1/2019 - 

9/30/2019 Completed Hispanics No

Education

Virtual Programming

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Universal Design 

Discussion

Presentation on making museum spaces more welcoming for all 

visitors. Featured speakers were Valerie Fletcher, Executive 

Director of the Institute for Human Centered Design, and Scott 

Rosenfeld, Lighting Designer, SAAM.

9/17/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No Education Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum Loan

Alexander Maldonado's painting "San Francisco to New York in 

One Hour" was lent to the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn, Germany for 

the exhibition “San Francisco. Californian Dreams” 

9/13/2019 - 

1/12/2020 In Progress Hispanics No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Museum Loan

Two Alma Thomas paintings, "Wind and Crepe Myrtle Concerto" 

and "Arboretum Presents White Dogwood" were lent to the 

Baltimore Museum of Art for the exhibition “Solidarity & Solitary: 

The Joyner/Giuffrida Collection”

9/29/2019 - 

1/5/2020 In Progress African Americans No Exhibition Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM

Museum Access 

Brochure

Joint Access brochure for SAAM/NPG information desks. The 

brochure provides information about access to the Donald W. 

Reynolds Center, and special programs available at SAAM and 

NPG. 

8/2019 Completed Individuals with Disabilities No

Education

Brochure

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SAAM Intern Program

SAAM's Lunder Conservation Center hosted a resume building 

workshop for interns in the Smithsonian's Mellon-funded 

Conservation Internship for Broadening Access (CIBA) program. 

6/14/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

No Internships Workforce 

Diversity

Masters

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

95
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SAAM

Alma Thomas 

Research Project

Research project undertaken by SAAM's Lunder Conservation 

Center to examine the paintings of Alma Thomas. The project will 

include public and private programming

9/6/2019 - 

1/3/2020 In Progress African Americans No

Education

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

Masters

Provost SCLDA

Smithsonian 

Secretary's Youth 

Advisory Council

In 2016, Secretary Skorton established the inaugural Smithsonian 

Secretary’s Youth Advisory Council (SSYAC) to provide an 

organized youth perspective regarding various issues to the 

Smithsonian Secretary and his leadership. For 2018-2019, the 

program is comprised of 10 DC-area teens and 11 national teens 

associated with 5 Affiliates (Upcountry History Museum, 

Greenville, SC; National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 

OH; The Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY; Arab American National 

Museum, Dearborn, MI; Fort Worth Museum of Science and 

History, TX).

10/24/2018 - 

4/24/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SCLDA

Teacher Creativity 

Studios: Fostering 

Global Competence 

in the Classroom

The Teacher Creativity Studios: Fostering Global Competence in 

the Classroom project is a collaborative nationwide education 

program designed to develop new instructional materials and 

content highlighting both Asian Pacific American and Latino 

experiences within K-12 humanities subject areas. Teacher 

participants create multimedia lessons integrating resources from 

Smithsonian and participating Affiliate museums, including new 

video resources created also from this project that feature 

Smithsonian experts and align with Harvard University’s Project 

Zero Global Competencies. The project is designed to increase 

digital access to museum collections, to empower teachers to 

integrate these APA and Latino resources into their teaching and 

to inspire students to investigate the world, recognize 

perspectives, and communicate ideas effectively.

2/1/2018 - 

5/8/2019 In Progress

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No

Education

Teacher Workshops

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

96
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SCLDA

Museums Go 

Global

Working collaboratively, classroom teachers and museum 

educators will explicitly connect museum collections and global 

issues. Group will first learn about ways to leverage museum 

collections to educate for global competence, then build lessons 

using museum collections to be shared on the Smithsonian 

Learning Lab.

10/1/2018 - 

9/30/2019 Completed

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

DC Public Schools

Yes

Education

Teacher Workshops

Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SCLDA

PZ In Another 

Language: People, 

Place, and Time - 

Smithsonian 

Learning Lab 

Presentation

Presentation with two SCLDA teacher fellows that showcased 

three Smithsonian Learning Lab collections they developed during 

their fellowship and demonstrated how to implement Project Zero 

Global Thinking Routines to support student's critical thinking and 

language-learning skills.

2/15/2019 Completed

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Teacher Workshops

Fellowships

Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SCLDA

2019 Anne Arundel 

County Public 

Schools' Curriculum 

Academy 

Conference

SCLDA presented four sessions highlighting the Smithsonian 

Learning and Project Zero Visible Thinking Routines at the Anne 

Arundel County Public Schools' Curriculum Academy Conference. 

The sessions included educators from across subject areas and 

disciplines, including science, social studies, visual and performing 

arts and ESOL. Examples from Fairfax County's Visual Arts pacing 

guides were shared as models of what's possible in integrating 

museum resources within K-12 curricula.

6/25/2019 Completed

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

ESOL - English for Speakers of Other 

Languages

Yes

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Education

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SCLDA

Smithsonian 

Learning Lab / Two 

Rivers Project

Set of two workshops for teachers participating in the Smithsonian 

Learning Lab / Two Rivers Project, a collaboration with the Two 

Rivers Public Charter School. In this project, participating teachers 

will build three Learning Lab teaching collections each, blending 

digital museum resources and instructional strategies, for use in 

expeditions in the Two Rivers curriculum. Participants teach 

science, Spanish, art, and humanities at the elementary and 

middle-school levels.

7/10/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Education

Teacher Workshops

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

97
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SCLDA

NJPSA 2019 Arts 

Integration 

Leadership Institute 

- Smithsonian 

Learning Lab, Focus 

on Global Arts and 

Humanities

Workshop was presented at the New Jersey Principals and 

Supervisors Association - 2019 Arts Integration Leadership 

Institute. Participants learned how to spark cross-cultural 

conversations, support interdisciplinary learning, and develop 

critical thinking and observation skills with African art forms that 

inspired the film Black Panther. Included a tutorial on how to use 

the Learning Lab to access digital media resources. Participants 

had time to build their own teaching collections.

7/23/2019 Completed African Americans Yes

Education

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SCLDA

STEM In The 

Classroom: How 

Technology Has 

Helped To Change 

Music Over Time

3rd-5th grade STEM teachers participates in an interactive weeklong professional development workshop that uses the museums 

musical collections as teaching tools. Through direct instruction, 

guided practice, and cooperative exploration, participants will act 

as learners and leaders as they explore African American STEM 

contributions to music through innovation and technology. 

Participating teachers will engage in activities that demonstrate 

how music serves as a bridge between communities.

8/21/2019 Completed African Americans Yes

Education

Teacher Workshops

Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost SCLDA

2019 Smithsonian / 

Montgomery 

College Faculty 

Fellows Seminar 

Series

Professional development seminar series for the 2019 Smithsonian 

/ Montgomery College Faculty Fellows. Seminar series consists of 

one opening panel and 5 focused seminars. Topic: The Search for 

an American Identity: Building a Nation Together

Visits/SI representation includes: NMAH, NMAI, SLC. NMAAHC, 

NASM and NPG.

3/1/2019 - 

8/30/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities

Education

Fellowships

Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

98
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SCLDA

Digital Storytelling 

Workshop Using 

the Learning 

Lab/Museum 

Objects

Training workshop led by SCLDA Fellow Antonia Liguori to 

Montgomery College and UMBC faculty introducing digital 

storytelling using the Smithsonian Learning Lab. Attendees 

included full-time faculty pursuing humanities-based research at 

colleges and universities in Maryland and the District of Columbia. 

Two trainings: One at UMBC, one at Montgomery College, 

Rockville campus. The UMBC event was hosted by UMBC's 

Inclusion Imperative, a five-year initiative promoting diversity in 

the humanities.

3/22/2019 Completed

African Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Teacher Workshops Program 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SCLDA

Texas ASCD 

Ignite19 

Conference

Present a session, Curating Digital Museum Resources for the 

Classroom, at the Texas Association for Supervision and 

Curriculum Developments Ignite19 conference, Transforming 

Curriculum with Technology. Done as part of Supporting the 

Innovative Teaching of Ethnic Studies project (supported by the 

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool and the 

Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool).

6/20/2019 - 

9/18/2019 Completed

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SCLDA

Kayo Denda 

Fellowships 

Research

Fellow Kayo Denda, Librarian for Women's, Gender and Sexuality 

Studies, Rutgers University Libraries fellowship and presentation, 

"Discovering American Women's Histories: An Examination of 

Metadata Schema and Access Issues".

5/14/2019 - 

9/21/2019 Completed

LGBTQIA+ Community

Women

Women of Color

Yes

Fellowships

Learning about Access 

to Digital Media

Program 

Diversity College/University

Provost SERC

Research 

Experience for 

Undergrads

Professional training initiative with emphasis on providing training 

opportunities for underserved communities. FY 2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Yes Internships

Training

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

99
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SERC C-STREAM

Chesapeake Student Recruitment Early Advisement and Mentoring 

- a partnership program with the Chesapeake Research 

Consortium intended to increase and diversify the workforce for 

environmental restoration. The focus is primarily on college 

students from previously underrepresented groups.

FY 2019 - FY 

2020

Planned

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes

Career Counseling

Recruitment

Training

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Provost SIL

 SIL HMSG Library 

Minority Award 

Program Intern

SIL's HMSG Library hosted Latina woman to analyze, promote, and 

suggest improvements to branch’s special collections

1/29/2018 - 

04/06/2018 Completed HispanicsWomen

No

Collections

Internships

Public Programming

Workforce 

Diversity

Masters

Provost SIL

SIL Anacostia 

Library hosted 

indoor recess

Arts and crafts for adults 12/6/2018 Completed

African Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SIL

SIL NPM library 

Saturday Open 

House

We open the library to the public every third Saturday. This 

weekend we assisted Latinos who do not speak English as their 

primary language. We also assisted the elderly with network 

printing on the library Xerox machine.

10/20/2018 Completed

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SIL Diverse Recruit SIL hired a Native Hawaiian as a preservation technician in FY2019 11/13/2018 Completed Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders No Recruitment Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

100
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SIL

Indian Bibles and 

Prayer Books 

Lecture

SIL hosted a joint lecture on Anthropology Library's Bureau of 

American Ethnology collection of ~300 bibles and prayer books 

that had been transcribed into Indian/Native American languages 

by Christian missionaries. Speaker Ives Goddard (curator emeritus, 

NMNH Anthropology Department and leading expert in Native 

American languages), discussed the significance of these books, 

their past, how they became part of our collection, and their 

potential for future investigation. The Libraries makes available 

several hundred of these books on the Libraries online book 

collection titled: “Early Publications in American Indian 

Languages.” See: https://library.si.edu/digitallibrary/collection/early-publications-american-indian-languages. 

The talk was followed by a Navaho blessing by SIL's NMAI Librarian 

as the books will move to the Cullman Library for better security 

and climate control.

3/19/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Collections

Education

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SIL

Kathryn Turner 

Diversity and 

Technology 

Internship

10-week summer internship targeting computer science students 

at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

6/3/2019 - 

8/9/2019 Completed African Americans Yes Internships Workforce Diversity College/University

Provost SIL

SIL NPM Library 

Saturday Open 

House

We open the library to the public every third Saturday. We also 

assisted the elderly with network printing on the library Xerox 

machine.

8/17/2019 Completed

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SIL

First Seminar of 

Librarians, 

Archivists and 

Museum 

Professionals in 

Panama, University 

of Panama, 

February 12th

STRI Librarian, Carrie Smith, presented in Spanish to a Panamanian 

audience about the STRI Library. In association with APABIB. 2/12/2019 Completed

Latin American Audience 

(Panamanian, Guatemalan, Puerto 

Rican attendees)

Yes

Conferences 

w/Colleges or 

Universities

Education

Conferences 

w/Professional 

Organizations

Public Programming

Program 

Diversity

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

101
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SIL

Hosted educational 

tour for First 

Seminar of 

Librarians, 

Archivists and 

Museum 

Professionals in 

Panama

STRI Library hosted 122 guests from the First Seminar of 

Librarians, Archivists and Museum Professionals in Panama 2/14/2019 Completed

Latin American Audience 

(Panamanian, Guatemalan, Puerto 

Rican attendees)

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SIL

2019 STRI 

Bibliography 

Internship Project

Hired 2 university students for the project internship in the STRI 

Library 7/2019 - 9/2019 In Progress Panamanian and Spanish Students Yes Internships Workforce Diversity College/University

Provost SIL Hirshhorn Library 

Internship Hosted African American student as Hirshhorn Library intern 2/2019 - 3/2019 Completed African Americans No Education Workforce Diversity College/University

Provost SIL Hirshhorn Library 

Internship Hosted Latino student as Hirshhorn Library intern 2/2019 - 6/2019 Completed Hispanics No Education Workforce Diversity College/University

Provost SITES

Museum on Main 

Street capacity 

building training 

workshops

The Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program is SITES' key 

initiative that directly engages small town audiences and brings 

revitalized attention to underserved rural communities through 

their own Main Street museums, historical societies, and other 

cultural venues. Professional development workshops for host 

venues were held in 15 states in FY19, providing program and 

installation tools and training for hosting a traveling exhibition and 

developing community-based displays and programs.

FY 2019 In Progress

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Build-it-Yourself 

Exhibit

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SITES

I Want the Wide 

American Earth: An 

Asian Pacific 

American Story 

An award-winning educational poster set provides teachers with 

fresh resources for celebrating Asian Pacific American history 

across this multitude of incredibly diverse cultures, and ways to 

explore how Asian Pacific Americans have shaped and been 

shaped by the course of our nation’s history. Produced by SITES, 

distributed at no cost to schools, museums, and small libraries. 

Ongoing In Progress

Asian Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Poster Exhibit Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

102
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SITES The Way We 

Worked

A fresh approach to how and why Americans work -- whether in 

offices, factories, farms, schools, homes, on the road, rails, or sky, 

in the military -- through photographs and first-hand stories. A 

Museum on Main Street project that provides rural communities 

with tools and training to utilize local resources for 

complementary programming and outreach.

9/2011 - 

11/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

Yes Traveling Exhibitions Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SITES The Way We 

Worked

A fresh approach to how and why Americans work -- whether in 

offices, factories, farms, schools, homes, on the road, rails, or sky, 

in the military -- through photographs and first-hand stories. 

Formerly a Museum on Main Street project, this exhibit is now 

traveling through the SITES program. 

FY 2019 - 

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

Yes Traveling Exhibitions Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SITES Water/Ways

A humanities-based examination of water and what it means to 

communities across the nation. A Museum on Main Street project 

that provides resources and tools for rural and under- resourced 

communities to collect and share stories and to create their 

unique complementary exhibits.

5/2016 - 6/2022 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

Yes Traveling Exhibitions Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

103
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SITES Recruiting 

SITES works with OHR’s Diversity & Inclusion Outreach Specialist 

to announce vacancies far beyond USAJOBS to ensure we reach 

diverse communities. SITES also notifies professional organizations 

related to museums and specific professional specializations as 

they apply to open positions. We also announce job openings 

through many common social media outlets and listservs.

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

No Digital Promotion of 

Job Opportunities

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Provost SITES

Hometown Teams: 

How Sports Shape 

America

Sports are an indelible part of our culture and community. 

Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America shows how sports 

reflect the trials and triumphs of the American experience and 

help mold our national character. Host communities utilize SITES' 

tools, resources, and professional training to develop 

complementary exhibits that highlight their own local histories and 

stories.

3/2014 - 4/2020 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

No Traveling Exhibitions Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SITES

Bittersweet 

Harvest: The 

Bracero Program 

1942-1964

Award-winning bi-lingual posters from SITES convey the little 

known story of the Bracero Program, the largest guest worker 

program in U.S. history. Between 1942 and 1964, millions of 

Mexican men came to the U.S. on short-term labor contracts. 

Distributed at no cost to schools, migrant education centers, 

museums, and small libraries.

Fall 2010 - 

Ongoing In Progress

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Poster Exhibit Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

104
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SITES Choosing to 

Participate

Graphically compelling, award-winning poster exhibit, created 

primarily for middle and high schools, is designed to encourage 

dialogue, engagement, respect, and participation in our 

communities. Many schools use it for anti-bullying programs. 

Distributed at no cost to schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, libraries, 

community centers.

Fall 2010 - 

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

No Poster Exhibit Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Provost SITES Stories from Main 

Street

A digital initiative to collect and share stories from small-town and 

rural America. Developed by the Museum on Main Street program 

to encourage capacity-building at the local level and to provide 

resources for community outreach.

Fall 2010 - 

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

No Virtual Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SITES

Roots of Wisdom: 

Native Knowledge, 

Shared Science

A new exhibition developed with the Oregon Museum of Science 

& Industry designed to engage families and students in the 

concept that western science and Native American traditional 

knowledge about the environment are both valuable and 

complementary for understanding the natural world.

2/2017 - 8/2021 In Progress

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders No Traveling Exhibitions Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

105
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SITES

Beyond Bollywood: 

Indian Americans 

Shape the Nation 

Created in collaboration with the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific 

American Center, a new exhibition explores the Indian American 

experience and the community's vital political, professional, and 

cultural contributions to American life and history.

5/2015 - 

11/2020 In Progress Asian Americans No Traveling Exhibitions Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SITES Journey Stories

Americans on the move, whether for work or pleasure, illustrate a 

key chapter in the nation's story. Journey Stories encourages host 

communities to collect and share stories, including those from 

immigrants new and old.

7/2017 - 

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

No Poster Exhibit Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SITES

A Place for All 

People: Introducing 

the National 

Museum of African 

American History 

and Culture

Produced in collaboration with the National Museum of African 

American History and Culture, this new exhibition of 20 posters 

explores African American history, culture, and community and 

will include programming and educational resources for host 

venues. Available as digital files to print yourself.

8/2016 - 

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Women 

No Poster Exhibit Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

106
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SITES

Dolores Huerta: 

Revolution in the 

Fields / Revolución 

en los Campos

Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the Fields / Revolución en los 

Campos shares the compelling story of legendary activist and 

leader Dolores Huerta (b.1930) and the farm workers movement 

of the 1960s and 70s. It is a quintessentially American tale of 

struggle and sacrifice, of courage and victory.

2/2016 - 

12/2023 In Progress HispanicsWomen 

No Traveling Exhibitions Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SITES

Men of Change: 

Power. Triumph. 

Truth.

Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth. serves as metaphor for 

the thousands of significant African-American men who are 

rendered invisible by a society that does not quite know how to 

see them. 

Men of Change highlights men—including Muhammad Ali, James 

Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, W.E.B Du Bois and Kendrick 

Lamar—whose journeys have altered the history and culture of 

the country through politics, sports, science, entertainment, 

business and religion. The achievements of the men are situated 

within the legacy and traditions of the African American journey -- 

achievements of excellence in spite of society’s barriers. The men’s 

names are insinuated in a landscape of names and faces all 

echoing the story of becoming your best self. In heralding the 

contributions of notable men across decades, Men of Change 

highlights deep parallels between the past and present.

2/2019 - 6/2022 In Progress African Americans No Traveling Exhibitions Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

107
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SITES

Righting a Wrong: 

Japanese 

Americans and 

World War II

This important new traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's 

National Museum of American History brings heart-wrenching 

personal stories, fascinating documents, stunning photographs, 

and engaging interactives to audiences across the nation. 

Embracing themes that are as relevant today as they were 75 

years ago, the exhibition takes a deep look at immigration, 

prejudice, civil rights, heroism, and what it means to be an 

American.

10/2017 - 

10/2022 In Progress Asian Americans No Traveling Exhibitions Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost SITES Crossroads: Change 

In Rural America

Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance 

to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected 

their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt 

discussions about what happened when America’s rural 

population became a minority of the country’s population and the 

ripple effects that occurred.

1/2017- 

12/2022 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

No Traveling Exhibitions Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

108
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SITES Exhibition Starter 

Kits

Drawing on content from past MoMS exhibitions, Starter Kits are 

organized to help small museums develop great local exhibitions. 

They embrace the power of local history and culture by providing 

a set of tools created by the Smithsonian that leverage local 

culture, creativity, and artistic expression. MoMS provides the 

curatorial framework for the exhibition. Host museums add 

additional content—such as historical images, art and artifacts, 

video clips, and quotes from oral histories—that highlights their 

local history and culture. Exhibition Starter Kits provide 

communities with Smithsonian-curated humanities-based 

exhibition frameworks and enable them to decide what is most 

important to present about their towns. The open build-it-yourself 

concept helps them preserve their past by presenting it in the 

most relevant way to their constituents. Smithsonian staff will 

provide assistance throughout the exhibition development process 

for each host venue.

4/2019 - 9/2024 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Women 

Yes Exhibition Starter Kits Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Masters

PhD

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

109
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC

2018 Next Steps 

Institute for STEM 

Learning and 

Leadership

The Smithsonian Science Education Center hosted the 2018 Next 

Steps Institute for STEM Learning and Leadership from October 10-

12 in Colorado Springs, CO. This program, organized in 

collaboration with South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics and 

Science brought together over 130 educators from 20 US states 

and Mexico to dive deeply into six critical topics in STEM education 

through the Next Step’s pathway model. These topics included 

increasing diversity in the STEM teaching workforce, thoughtful 

approaches to integrating technology into classrooms, and 

addressing the emerging Next Generation Science Standards in 

schools and districts throughout the country. Participants also had 

the opportunity to visit some “hot topics” in STEM education 

through 75-minute salon sessions. On-site exhibitors included the 

SSEC’s publisher, Carolina Biological, The TGR Foundation, Denver 

Museum of Nature & Science, PCG Education, Engineering is 

Elementary and the EPA. 

10/10/2018 - 

10/12/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC

STEM Workshop 

for Middle School 

Teachers hosted by 

Touro College and 

the Smithsonian 

Science Education 

Center

On November 6th SSEC Division Director of Professional Services 

Amy D’Amico, Program Specialist, Kat Fancher and Program 

Assistant, Eva Muszynski facilitated the STEM Workshop for 

Middle School Educators at the Isaac Newton Middle School for 

Math and Science in New York City. 45 Kindergarten through 12 

grade teachers attended breakout sessions lead by the SSEC on 

Modeling as Explanation and Argumentation. This was the first 

event part of the collaboration between SSEC and Touro college 

and University System.

11/3/2018 Completed

African Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

110
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC 2018 Family Night 

in Colorado

More than 289 family members from 14 schools in the Denver 

Metro area enjoyed an evening at the Museum, free of charge, to 

explore the “Mindbender Mansion” and “¡Cuba!” exhibits, one of 

four Planetarium showings, and select museum exhibits. The 

Denver Museum of Nature & Science is dedicated to welcoming 

everyone and has put forth an effort to provide information in 

both English and Spanish, creating a welcoming format for our 

dual-language families. The theme of the exhibits support the 

students’ learning in the classroom with the STC science units 

provided through the Colorado LASER Initiative.

11/5/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC

2019 Washington 

DC Public Middle 

Schools 

Professional 

Development Day

On January 23, 2019 Washington DC Public Middle schools held 

their annual professional development day. The SSEC presented on 

eliciting ideas through argumentation. Teachers chose which 

session they would attend. Over two sessions, 14 teachers serving 

2455 DC students attended the SSEC session.

1/23/2019 Completed

African Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC

STEM Education 

Summit: Building a 

Coalition for 

Attracting and 

Retaining a Diverse 

STEM Teaching 

Workforce

On March 22-24, the Smithsonian Science Education Center, 

supported by Shell Oil Company, hosted its third summit and first 

at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. The STEM 

Education Summit convened 21 teams of educators and their 

mentors from across the nation to create plans for attracting or 

retaining a diverse STEM teacher workforce in their schools, 

districts, or regions. Teams were paired with a mentor to support 

the creation of their logic model and each group will continue to 

work together over the next eighteen months to implement the 

activities outlined in their plans and move the work forward. In 

preparation for the weekend’s work, a series of five webinars were 

provided for participants and mentors on topics including change 

management, project management, and implicit bias in the weeks 

leading up to the summit.

3/22/2019 - 

3/24/2019 Completed

African Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education

Program 

Diversity

Supplier 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

College/University

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

111
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC

2019 Washington 

DC Public Schools 

Professional 

Development Day

On April 4, 2019 Washington DC Public schools held their annual 

elementary professional development day. The SSEC presented on 

eliciting ideas through argumentation. Teachers chose which 

session they would attend. Over two sessions, 24 teachers serving 

1129 DC students attended the SSEC session.

4/4/2019 Completed African Americans

Hispanics

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC STEM Symposium

On Saturday, March 30, the Smithsonian Science Education Center 

participated in a day-long community STEM event – “STEM 

Symposium”, featuring local students (K-12), parents and 

representatives from industry and academia alike. A total of 4,000 

participants were in attendance with some 50 exhibitors, 20 

student showcases and prominent speakers, such as former NASA 

Astronaut, Dr. Sandra Magnus. The full-day event featured handson activities and provided the Center with the opportunity to showcase its Women in STEM2D activities, as well as other 

commercially available (SI branded) science kits. In addition, SSEC 

was able to reach several hundred students by way of a careerfocused poster that was freely distributed at the event. Finally, a 

number of to introductions with made with business, education 

and non-profit leaders that may lead to future opportunities for 

SSEC, including possible exhibition at a future Girl Scouts event.

3/30/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

112
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC

Women In Science, 

Technology, 

Engineering, Math 

and Manufacturing 

Initiative

WiSTEM2D or Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, 

Manufacturing and Design is a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) led initiative to 

reach 1 million girls by 2020. The initiative aims to promote girls and 

women in the sciences with a focus on reaching students and having them 

consider early on the potential benefits of a career in STEM2D. SSEC 

continued to activity support the WiSTEM2D initiative in 2019 by 

developed lessons and activities, training volunteers, assisting with event 

planning and procurement of material supplies. We have engaged a 

number of SI stakeholders as part of the work including the help of 

NMAAHC to provide a hands-on STEM activity based around diversity and 

inclusion themes. We have also leveraged SSEC’s Smithsonian Science for 

Global Goals and international outreach to maximize the initiative’s reach 

globally. Events and activities thus far have included classroom 

engagements in cities across the United States with additional 

international engagements in Puerto Rico and Kenya utilizing Smithsonian 

Science For Global Goals - Mosquito! curriculum which saw students 

leaders guide other students in raising awareness around mosquito-borne 

illnesses. Since October 2019, around 4933 students have been impacted 

by the initiative across 11 cities and 30+ class sessions. 

11/2018 - 

Present In-progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC STC Kindergarten

STC Kinder, is comprised of a set of curriculum units, which 

provides research-based, inquiry-centered investigations for the 

Kindergarten level. The STC Kinder program follows the Next 

Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards 

for Mathematics and ELA/Literacy. Each curriculum unit includes a 

Teacher’s Guide, Big Book Literacy Series, and Digital Support. 

10/2018 - 

Present In-progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

113
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC

Smithsonian 

Science for the 

Classroom

The Smithsonian Science for the Classroom program, which is 

setting the standard for 3-D learning and 3-D assessment, is a new 

fully integrated STEM curriculum developed by the Smithsonian 

Science Education Center. It is designed to engage students in 

phenomenon-based learning through coherent storylines, inspire 

teachers with point-of-use support, and connect students 

firsthand to the world around them. It was developed in 

consultation with teachers and technical experts and field tested in 

a range of schools with diverse populations. It draws on the latest 

findings and best practices from educational research with proven 

results.

10/2018 - 

Present In-progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost SSEC STC Middle School

Engage students in authentic science, technology, engineering, and 

math experiences using STCMSTM units. These hands-on, practicebased units are centered around specific bundles of Next 

Generation Science Standard Performance Expectations that result 

in coherent unit storylines that will engage your middle school 

students in the investigation of exciting phenomena. Whether 

your students are planning investigations and designing solutions 

to explore Newtonian physics through objects that roll, fall, and 

collide, or they are gathering evidence and making predictions 

about reproduction and heredity, STCMS is the only way to 

prepare your students to be the next generation of scientifically 

literate citizens.

10/2018 - 

Present In-progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC

Smithsonian 

Science for Global 

Goals

Smithsonian Science for Global Goals project has new freely 

available community research guides developed by the 

Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) in partnership with 

the InterAcademy Partnership. These Smithsonian Science for 

Global Goals community research guides use the United Nations 

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to focus on 

sustainable actions that are student-defined and implemented.

10/2018 - 

Present In-progress

African Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

114
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC Always Think Like A 

Scientist (ATLAS)

SSEC supported a program called “ATLAS Water”, which engaged twelve 

students in a six-week after-school science program at Santa Fe’s Piñon 

Elementary School (SFPS). ATLAS Water examined the impacts of climate 

change on Santa Fe’s access to water in 2040. The team found some 

surprises, most notably that the biggest local effects of climate change 

might not be from less precipitation. The program was developed by SFPS 

teacher Delara Sharma and local scientist Dr. Joel Berendzen. In Santa Fe, 

students interacted with archeologist Damien Evans in Paris, NOAA 

climatologist Howard Diamond, California artist/conservationist Wyland, 

and UNM Professor John Fleck, as well as local water experts. The ATLAS 

Water team of explorers then presented their results to city and county 

officials, as well as parents, at Piñon Elementary School on Friday, May 10 

and the public (and SSEC Director Carol O’Donnell) watched the event livestreamed on the Santa Fe Public Schools’ YouTube channel at: h 

ttps://bit.ly/SFPSVideos and interacted with the students via Zoom. 

Following the ATLAS program, the SSEC will make the materials available 

for free use by after-school groups so that students worldwide can explore 

future access to water in their own locales.” SSEC’s ATLAS programs are 

unusual by having high-school students teach middle school students’ the 

principles to “Always Think Like a Scientist (ATLAS),” then apply those 

principles to complex socio-scientific issues (like accessing fresh water). 

Chief among the ATLAS principles is engaging with scientists directly and 

communicating with others

3/1/2019 - 

5/10/2019 Completed

Hispanics

Native Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC 2019 Family Night 

at the Museum 

Approximately 7,411 community members enjoyed a day at the 

Museum, free of charge, to explore the “Our Senses” exhibit, 

space focused presentations by local businesses and community 

organizations, and museum exhibits. The Denver Museum of 

Nature & Science is dedicated to welcoming everyone and has put 

forth an effort to provide information in both English and Spanish, 

creating a welcoming format for our dual-language families. The 

theme of the exhibits support the students’ learning in the 

classroom with the STC science units provided through the 

Colorado LASER Initiative.

6/2/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Asian Americans

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

115
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC 2019 Family Night 

#4 in Colorado

More than 346 family members from 12 schools in the Denver 

Metro area enjoyed an evening at the Museum, free of charge, to 

explore the “Our Senses” exhibit, one of five Planetarium 

showings, one of two IMAX showings, and select museum exhibits. 

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is dedicated to 

welcoming everyone and has put forth an effort to provide 

information in both English and Spanish, creating a welcoming 

format for our dual-language families. The theme of the exhibits 

support the students’ learning in the classroom with the STC 

science units provided through the Colorado LASER Initiative.

5/13/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC

Plant Growth and 

Development 

Professional 

Development 

Workshop 

On April 5th – 6th, SSEC Program Manager for Leadership 

Development and International Programs, Katherine Blanchard, 

conducted a professional development workshop in San José, 

Costa Rica. The workshop trained 11 teachers from four schools 

on the SSEC’s Science & Technology Concepts (STC) unit Plant 

Growth and Development. The workshop - a part of Johnson & 

Johnson WiSTEM2D initiative - also engaged 8 volunteers from 

Johnson & Johnson Costa Rica, who will collaborate with teachers 

over the next year to implement this unit with over 400 students. 

Juan Carlos Andrade from INNOVEC, the SSEC’s collaborating 

organization in Mexico City, served as the lead trainer. 

In addition to conducting this workshop, Blanchard and 

WiSTEM2D volunteer Monica Solana Elizondo met with the US 

Embassy in Costa Rica to discuss expanding the WiSTEM2D 

program through the embassy and Ministry of Public Education’s 

STEAM education program.

4/5/2019 - 

4/6/2019 Completed Hispanics Yes Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

116
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC

Space Science 

Smithsonian 

Science Education 

Academy for 

teachers (SSEAT)

The SSEC hosted the Smithsonian Science Education Academy for 

Teachers (SSEAT) on Space Science in collaboration with the 

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, 

MA. Fifteen local teachers from 9 districts where underserved in 

the Boston area participated in the week, as well as two educators 

from the Embassy of Chile and one educator from the Carolina 

Biological Inc. joined the week. During the week, the participants 

learned how to implement WorldWide Telescope Think Space Lab 

lessons about seasons, lunar phases, and eclipses; took images of 

astronomical objects using remote robotic telescopes and learned 

astronomical image processing using a MicroObservatory tool; 

visited the CfA’s old observatory and learned about women 

scientists in the history of the CfA; toured the CfA’s cutting-edge 

science labs; and had a field trip to the Chandra X-ray Observatory 

Operations Control Center in Burlington. Three worldly wellknown distinguished scholars, Dr. Margaret Geller, Dr. Phil Sadler, 

and Dr. Allyssa Goodman provided keynote sessions.

7/8/2019 - 

7/12/2019 Completed

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC

 Smithsonian 

Science Summer 

School (S4)

Smithsonian Science Summer School (S4) is a collaboration 

between Horizons of Greater Washington and the Smithsonian 

Science Education Center. STEM teachers for grades 1 and 4 

receive professional development and materials for a SSEC 

Engineering module. The teachers implement the module in their 

classroom and as a capstone activity teachers bring their students 

to a Smithsonian Museum to support the learning they have had in 

their classrooms. On July 23, students went to NMAAHC. There 

were total 78 elementary students participated in the S4’s STEM 

activity event at the NMAAHC. 4th grade students learned about 

energy and 1st grade students learned about sound. They also 

spent time at the exhibit hall, Explore More! Gallery.

6/26/2019 - 

7/23/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

117
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC

Smithsonian 

Science Education 

Academy for 

Teachers- Energy 

and its Innovations

During the week of July 7-12th, 12 science teachers serving 

approximately 1,340 students came to DC to participate in the 

2019 Smithsonian Science Education Academy for Teachers: 

Energy and Its Innovations. During the week the teachers explored 

the past and future of energy in the United States through guided 

tours of a local powerplant, Smithsonian collections, and museum 

facilities. They also experienced hands on investigations of solar 

panels, wind turbines, and nuclear energy. Finally, the teachers 

used their experiences to create an innovation that would 

decrease the energy needs of food consumption. The project was 

led by Kat Fancher of the SSEC with presentation support from Hal 

Wallace at NMAH, the Spark!Lab, Steve Nelson at NMNH, and 

Possum Point Powerplant. 

7/7/2019 - 

7/12/2019 Completed

African Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC

Summer Academy 

Engineering 

Professional 

Development

In collaboration with the Smithsonian Affiliates and Children’s 

Museum of the Upstate, Kat Fancher presented at the 2019 

Summer Academy in Greenville County, SC. The professional 

development focused on increasing teacher understanding of the 

newly adopted science and engineering principles through team 

work, discussions, and hands on experimentation.

7/24/2019 Completed

African Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost SSEC eSTEAM DC

On July 27, Kat Fancher and Sharath Narayan from the SSEC 

presented a hands on design activity for DC families as part of the 

Black Integrated Communication Professionals Network eSTEAM 

day. The day focused on introducing local families to hands on 

science, engineering, and design activities to encourage students 

to pursue STEM2D careers.

7/27/2019 Completed African Americans Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

118
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC

Smithsonian 

Science Education 

Academy for 

TeachersBiodiversity

SSEC hosted the Smithsonian Science Education Academy for 

Teachers (SSEAT) on Biodiversity where 19 teachers from across 

the United States and South Korea came together in Washington, 

DC. This week-long professional development workshops was 

planned and delivered by the Smithsonian Science Education 

Center’s Professional Services Division, and Program Assistant, Eva 

Muszynski. The week increased teachers content knowledge on 

scientific illustration, insect metamorphosis, global climate 

negotiations and methods of biodiversity study in various 

ecosystems including freshwater streams and near shore 

environments. Throughout the week, the Smithsonian Science for 

Global Goals curriculum, Mosquito! How can we ensure health for 

all from mosquito-borne disease? was used to understand the 

United Nationals Sustainable Development Goals, mosquito 

transmission and provided a framework for teachers to create an 

action plan to integrate their newly obtained knowledge into their 

classrooms. Participants spent time behind the scenes and with 

scientists from the National Museum of Natural History and the 

Smithsonian Environmental research Center (SERC). 

6/23/2019 - 

6/28/2019 Completed

Asian Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education

Program 

Diversity

Supplier 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost SSEC

Smithsonian 

Science Leadership 

Development and 

Strategic Planning 

Institute

Teachers, administrators, community and business partners 

representing 11 school systems in the U.S., Guatemala, Costa Rica, 

and Thailand came together from July 22-26, 2019 for an intensive 

5-day institute guiding their strategic planning for STEM programs. 

Attendees participated in sessions focusing on the five elements of 

the Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform 

(LASER) model: curriculum, professional development, materials 

support, assessment, and administrative community support. The 

information from these sessions was then used to inform their 

own five-year strategic plans.

7/22/2019 - 

7/26/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education

Program 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

119
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost SSEC

2019 National 

HBCU Week 

Conference

SSEC Director, Carol O’Donnell and Division Director of 

Professional Services, Amy D’Amico, hosted a VIP session at the 

2019 National HBCU Week Conference on September 10 for 

presidents and executives of Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities. The session was co-led by SSEC Advisory Board vicechair and Vice President of the Shell Oil Company Foundation, 

Frazier Wilson, and focused on the work of the SSEC and Shell to 

build a coalition for attracting and retaining a diverse STEM 

teaching workforce. SSEC Program Manager, Katie Gainsback, also 

coordinated with SITES and OFI to ensure Smithsonian was 

represented at an exhibit table throughout the conference.

9/10/2019 Completed African Americans Yes Education Program 

Diversity

College/University

Other Programming for 

Adults

Provost TSA

African 

Roots/Latino Soul

How many cultures can we be? This vibrant play explores what it 

means to be Latino, African American, and proud. The spirit of 

Celia Cruz’s songs infuses this delightful show, in which the 

warmth of mama’s kitchen and the bustle of city life play parts in 

demonstrating that the pulse of the music is the heart of the 

people. Written with the Young Playwrights' Theater, this is a story 

of the triumphs of today’s multicultural kids.

10/4/2018 - 

10/24/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA

Cuentos Muy 

Magicos! Magical 

Stories!

This delightful Discovery Theater original offers a fresh take on 

three classic tales. The Little Red Hen asks the question “Who will 

help?” Jack and the Beanstalk proves that small is mighty. And The 

Gingerbread Man... well, he’s just one bad cookie. Filled with 

delightful songs, puppets, and audience participation, this bilingual 

story-time spectacular is not to be missed! 

10/5/2018, 

10/12/2018, 

10/23/2018

Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

120
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA

Lessons from the 

Animal Peoples

Native American stories are playful, funny, and wise. Dovie 

Thomason shares her culture with understanding, sly humor, and 

astonishing vocal transformations to become characters who 

weave magic with every word. Her captivating collection of stories 

explore some age-old questions (Why do bears hibernate? Why 

don’t rabbits have tails?) that reveal timeless truths about the 

Earth and her animal children—and all of us, too!

11/8/2018 - 

11/9/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Native Pride 

Dancers

Dancers, drumbeats, and stories celebrate the spirit and beauty of 

First-Nations peoples in a dynamic, one-of-a-kind cultural heritage 

program. Actor, educator, and world-champion fancy dancer Larry 

Yazzie brings together artists who share the rich heritage and 

customs passed down from generation to generation—and a 

history of bravery, fortitude, generosity, and wisdom.

11/13/2018 - 

11/14/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA

Discovery Play 

Series Grandma’s 

Thanksgiving Visit

Last Fall’s sold-out show returns! Grandma has arrived for the 

holiday—and that can only mean making puppets, cooking 

together, washing the car, and learning lots of fun new things. This 

musical play with a great big heart brings the whole audience into 

the family with singing, finger play, and call-and response as we all 

give thanks for being together. 

11/15/2018 - 

11/16/2018 

11/19/2018 - 

11/20/2018

Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Seasons of Light

Joy, warmth, and community illuminate seasonal holiday 

celebrations the world over. Back for its 20th season, this 

signature Discovery Theater show celebrates the history and 

customs of Diwali (Devali), Chanukah, Las Posadas, Ramadan, 

Sankta Lucia Day, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and the First Nations’ 

tradition of the Winter Solstice in an interactive event that bridges 

communities and cultures. This show sells out early, so get your 

tickets now!

Weekdays

12/3/2018 - 

12/21/2018

Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

121
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA

Holiday Movie 

Screening: Ezra Jack 

Keats’ The Snowy 

Day

Join us for an exclusive screening of the Daytime Emmy Awardwinning animated film The Snowy Day, based on Ezra Jack Keats' 

1962 classic story. Narrated by Laurence Fishburne and with 

character voices by Regina King, Angela Bassett, and Jamie-Lynn 

Sigler, the film follows young Peter’s magical, snowy walk to his 

Nana's house to bring home their Christmas Eve dinner. One the 

way, he meets some new (and diverse) friends who come together 

to celebrate many traditions. A very special day indeed!

12/11/2018 - 

12/14/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA

Discovery Play 

Series Here We Go, 

Team!

This Discovery Theater original scores big in a musical play about 

sharing and taking turns, the importance of personal space, and 

the awesome power of teamwork. Five-year-olds Bobby and Casey 

are aspiring soccer stars and best friends— but they’ve ended up 

on separate teams! Sharing, personal space and respect are team 

values in this play about friendship and fun.

1/16/2019 - 

1/17/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Black Diamond

This spirit-rousing musical play chronicles the struggles and 

triumphs of pioneering African American baseball players. The allstar lineup of heroes includes Moses “Fleet” Walker, who became 

the game’s first black pro in the 1880s; power hitter Josh “Spitfire” 

Gibson; athlete-philosopher Satchel Paige; and young Jackie 

Robinson, who first integrated the major leagues. You’ll stand up 

and cheer for the players who made sports history—and American 

history, too! 

2/1/2019

2/20/2019 - 

2/22/2019

Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

122
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA

Into the Great 

Unknown: African 

American 

Adventurers & 

Explorers

Leadership, courage, and adventure take center stage in this 

inspiring Discovery Theater original. Meet Matthew Henson, codiscoverer of the North Pole, and Barbara Hillary, the first African 

American woman to reach it nearly 100 years later. Thrill to the 

frontier exploits of the hard-riding mail carrier “Stagecoach Mary” 

Fields and Nate Love, the former slave who became the legendary 

cowboy nicknamed Deadwood Dick. And learn how astronauts and 

aerospace pioneers Guion Bluford and Mae Jemison are charting a 

whole new frontier today. From the Pole to the prairies to outer 

space, the histories and heroism of these African American women 

and men attest that true grit and personal power can push us 

toward greatness.

2/7/2019 - 

2/8/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Once Upon a Moon

From the beginnings of time, we have gazed into the night sky with 

wonder and curiosity at the moon shining down on us—and 

wished that we could journey there. In this enchanting new show 

for the youngest audience members, performers and puppets spin 

new and old stories about the moon’s magic and introduce the 

exciting Apollo mission that brought us to its surface. What new 

worlds can we dream about next?

2/14/2019 - 

2/15/2019 In Progress African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA

Kofi’s African 

Village

Drummer Kofi Dennis brings the vibrant life of a West African 

village to the Discovery Theater stage though music, storytelling, 

and dance. Using authentic instruments, the Ghanaian native leads 

lively call-and-response songs, games, and movement that gets 

audiences on their feet in a high-energy exploration of African 

cultural traditions.

2/26/2019 - 

2/28/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

123
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA Urban Nation H.I.P. 

H.O.P. Choir

With a mix that covers everything from jazz to gospel, spirituals to 

show tunes, and classical to contemporary, D.C. ’s own Urban 

Nation H.I.P. H.O.P. Choir showcases the power of young 

talent—and the astounding power of music in our lives. In a highenergy performance full of rich harmonies and plenty of audience 

engagement, this talented ensemble’s musical message of selfempowerment rings out loud and clear: Lift your own voice so you 

can be heard above the crowd!

3/6/2019 - 

3/7/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Tot Rock: The NotIts

In their signature pink ties (on the guys) and pink-and-black tutus 

(on the girls), the Not-Its! rock kids and families with their uptempo albums and performances that give children their first "rock 

show" experience. The Seattle-based quintet delivers on-your-feet, 

action-oriented songs like “Green Light Go” and “Skateboard,” and 

uses music to empower kids to be innovators, protect the 

environment and wildlife, and be proud of who they are—even if, 

as they sing about in “Participation Trophy,” they get third or 

fourth place at something.

3/14/2018 - 

3/15/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Professor Wingnut 

Wants to Fly

Join wacky citizen-scientist Professor Wingnut and his friend 

Seymour Seagull as they explore the amazing science of flight! 

From birds to airplanes, this pair loves all things airborne, and are 

in pursuit of the secret to just what makes them fly. Songs, 

science, and a flight-tastic dance party take off right under the 

planes in the Air and Space Museum. Tour the museum after the 

show!

3/21/2019 - 

3/22/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Jargie the Science 

Girl

Look out! Jargie the Science Girl and her assistant Benjamin the 

Penguin are ready to rattle the molecules—and you’re invited to 

join them in the laboratory. Jargie (the quirky alter ego of scientisteducator Jocelyn Argueta) dons her signature pink lab coat to 

launch into exciting experiments and demonstrations that deliver 

plenty of solid science facts—along with “impossible” physics, 

rockets, and dobblybloppers galore.

3/28/2019 - 

3/29/2019 Completed African Americans Yes Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

124
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA Imagination 

Exploration

Discovery Theater’s innovative arts/education program for DCPS 

early education teachers and their students who were 

implementing the “Creative Curriculum” in their classrooms. The 

Creative Curriculum for Preschool is a comprehensive, researchbased curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way 

of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, 

and lifelong critical thinking skills. Smithsonian-trained 

actor/educators present these developmentally appropriate, 

content-rich programs as part of in-school residencies that 

promote creativity and enriched play in the early childhood 

classroom. Playing pretend characters in stories encourages 

sequencing, verbal skills, math, and problem solving. In 

“Imagination Exploration,” actors take idea and suggestion from 

the students and create a story/play using the ideas (improv).

September 2018 

- October 2018 Completed African Americans No Education Program Diversity

 Pre-K

 (Ages 3 - 4)

Provost TSA Grandma’s 

Thanksgiving Visit

Discovery Theater’s innovative arts/education program for DCPS 

early education teachers and their students who were 

implementing the “Creative Curriculum” in their classrooms. The 

Creative Curriculum for Preschool is a comprehensive, researchbased curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way 

of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, 

and lifelong critical thinking skills. Smithsonian-trained 

actor/educators present these developmentally appropriate, 

content-rich programs as part of in-school residencies that 

promote creativity and enriched play in the early childhood 

classroom. Playing pretend characters in stories encourages 

sequencing, verbal skills, math, and problem solving. “Grandma’s 

Thanksgiving Visit” brings the whole audience into the family with 

singing, finger play, and call-and response as we all give thanks for 

being together. 

11/2018 Completed African Americans No Education Program 

Diversity

 Pre-K

 (Ages 3 - 4)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

125
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA Here We Go, Team!

Discovery Theater’s innovative arts/education program for DCPS 

early education teachers and their students who were 

implementing the “Creative Curriculum” in their classrooms. The 

Creative Curriculum for Preschool is a comprehensive, researchbased curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way 

of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, 

and lifelong critical thinking skills. Smithsonian-trained 

actor/educators present these developmentally appropriate, 

content-rich programs as part of in-school residencies that 

promote creativity and enriched play in the early childhood 

classroom. Playing pretend characters in stories encourages 

sequencing, verbal skills, math, and problem solving. “Here We 

Go, Team!” is about sharing and taking turns, the importance of 

personal space, and the awesome power of teamwork. 

1/2019 Completed African Americans No Education Program 

Diversity

 Pre-K

 (Ages 3 - 4)

Provost TSA Gear UP!

As part of a Department of Education GEAR UP (Gaining Early 

Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant, five 

Smithsonian presenters visited four Lafayette, LA high schools for 

three days, where they conducted in-class presentations and led 

hands-on activities. Topics included cell specialization and 

organelles, and reached 612 tenth grade science students. The 

program was supposed to run through 11/1/19 but Lafayette 

Parish Schools were closed on 11/1/19 due to tornado warnings 

and inclement weather. 

10/29/2019 - 

10/30/2019 Completed

African Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

126
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA Gear UP!

As part of a Department of Education GEAR UP (Gaining Early 

Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant, five 

Smithsonian presenters visited four Lafayette, LA high schools for 

three days conducting in-class presentations and led hands-on 

activities. The program focused on intermolecular forces and was 

presented to 875 eleventh graders. Additional presentations on 

organelles and cell specialization were scheduled for the tenth 

grade biology classes that were cancelled due to inclement 

weather in October, reaching a total of 124 tenth grade students.

1/30/2019 - 

2/2/2019 Completed

African Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

High School (9th - 12th 

Grade)

Provost TSA Beautiful Day in the 

Neighborhood

Meet the butcher, baker, pizza dough maker, and all of the friendly 

people who make our neighborhoods terrific places to live every 

day. Recycled crafting and interactive songs and movement make 

this community day the perfect blend of learning and just plain 

fun.

4/10/2019 - 

4/12/209 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Beautiful Biomes

Home sweet biome? A biome is a unique environment that 

nurtures plants and creatures suited for that special place and 

climate, such as tundra, desert, rainforest, grassland, and ocean. 

Celebrate Earth Month and step into the Haupt Garden with 

horticulturists from Smithsonian Gardens and discover how all 

living things—including the earth itself—are connected by 

adaptation to the beautiful biomes we call home.

4/23/2019 - 

4/24/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA

Tigers, Dragons, 

and Other Wise 

‘Tails’

From ancient to modern, these tales come alive with the culture of 

the Asian countryside. The sumptuous and mythic creation story 

The Four Dragon Rivers of China features beautiful flying puppets. 

The natural innocence of childhood outwits the villain in the 

Vietnamese story The Boy and the Fly. The Tiger, the Thief, and 

the Dried Persimmon from Korea features a trickster tiger whose 

antics recall the teachings of Anansi. In the Japanese tale The Wise 

Mole, true love takes charge, complete with cellphones and iPods.

5/7/2019- 

5/10/2019 In Progress African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

127
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA Jojo’s Backyard 

Safari

It's time for high adventure as Jojo goes on the lookout for all 

kinds of fascinating creatures in the wilds of his very own yard. 

What will he find hidden in plain sight? Come along on the trek as 

we learn, create, and play in this musical mini-travelogue about 

the hidden natural world that’s so close to home.

5/15/2019 - 

5/17/2019 In Progress African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Black Diamond

This spirit-rousing musical play chronicles the struggles and 

triumphs of pioneering African American baseball players. The allstar lineup of heroes includes Moses “Fleet” Walker, who became 

the game’s first black pro in the 1880s; power hitter Josh “Spitfire” 

Gibson; athlete-philosopher Satchel Paige; and young Jackie 

Robinson, who first integrated the major leagues. You’ll stand up 

and cheer for the players who made sports history—and American 

history, too!

5/22/2019 - 

5/24/2019 In Progress African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Kuumba Kids

The smash-hit show is back! Gather round the iconic tree of life for 

traditional, songs, stories, and dances from “Iya” Bashea Imana 

and her talented troupe of Kuumba Kids. This high energy, 

interactive show features puppets, movement, and motivational 

music that rouses the spirit and moves the heart.

6/27/2019 - 

6/28/2019

7/2/2019 - 

7/3/2019

Planned African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

128
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA Beautiful Day in the 

Neighborhood

Discovery Theater’s innovative arts/education program for DCPS 

early education teachers and their students who were 

implementing the “Creative Curriculum” in their classrooms. The 

Creative Curriculum for Preschool is a comprehensive, researchbased curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way 

of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, 

and lifelong critical thinking skills. Smithsonian-trained 

actor/educators present these developmentally appropriate, 

content-rich programs as part of in-school residencies that 

promote creativity and enriched play in the early childhood 

classroom. Playing pretend characters in stories encourages 

sequencing, verbal skills, math, and problem solving. “Beautiful 

Day in the Neighborhood” is about two siblings who journey 

through their neighborhood to meet community helpers (such as 

police officer, trash collector, librarian, firefighter, etc.) 

Late March - 

Early April 2019 Completed

African Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

Yes Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Provost TSA Jojo’s Backyard 

Safari

Discovery Theater’s innovative arts/education program for DCPS 

early education teachers and their students who were 

implementing the “Creative Curriculum” in their classrooms. The 

Creative Curriculum for Preschool is a comprehensive, researchbased curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way 

of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, 

and lifelong critical thinking skills. Smithsonian-trained 

actor/educators present these developmentally appropriate, 

content-rich programs as part of in-school residencies that 

promote creativity and enriched play in the early childhood 

classroom. Playing pretend characters in stories encourages 

sequencing, verbal skills, math, and problem solving. “Jojo’s 

Backyard Safari” is about the fascinating creatures in the wild – 

and or own backyard! 

Late May - Early 

June 2019

Planned

African Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Education Program 

Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

129
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA

Sprit of South 

Africa with Lesole’s 

Dance Project

South African-born Lesole Maine invites you to discover the 

vibrant dance heritage of his homeland. Experience the energy, 

customs, and cultures of South Africa as reflected in three 

distinctive regional dances: indlamu, a traditional Zulu village 

dance; a gumboot dance slapped out on gold miner’s rubber 

boots; and the upbeat urban pantsula. And don’t miss the chance 

to try out some steps! The mission of Lesole’s Dance Project is to 

promote the unique movement vocabulary and choreographic 

style inspired by Southern African heritage and to create 

opportunities for cultural exchange through educational 

programming.

7/9/2019 

7/12/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost TSA

Out of this World: 

The Science of 

Space

Live demonstrations, fun factoids, and space stuff with the Science 

Guys of Baltimore! Join us on a mission to investigate the physics 

and chemistry that govern the rotation and orbit of planets, how 

astronauts live in space, and power the spacecraft that hurtle 

among the stars.

7/16/2019 - 

7/19/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Provost TSA

Summer VIBEZ 

with SOLE Defined

The excitement of the hip-hop revolution used music as 

Afrocentric expression, social protest, and a celebration of life. 

Rewind to its golden age in a DJ-spun 90’s music and high-energy 

percussive tap and stepping show. The mission of SOLE Defined is 

to entertain, educate and empower lives through performances, 

workshops, and Arts integrated programing. SOLE Defined, is the 

intersection between percussive dance, multimedia, storytelling 

and the African America narrative throughout American History in 

90 minute shows we call “Percussical’s”. 

7/23/2019 - 

7/26/2019 Completed African Americans Yes Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

130
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

Provost TSA Beatboxing with 

Max

Max picks up the mic to make some crazy-good mouth 

music—and wants everyone to join in! This astounding human 

beatbox introduces kids to the most powerful musical instrument 

ever: their own body. With lots of audience participation and 

exciting on-the-spot improvisations, Max covers themes in hip-hop 

culture, language, math, and music. Get ready to make some truly 

hip beats!

7/30/2019 - 

8/2/2019 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program Diversity

Elementary School (K - 

5th Grade)

Middle School (6th - 8th 

Grade)

ASA ASA Advisory Board 

Demographics

Over the past five years, the percentage of Advisory Board 

members from ethnically diverse backgrounds has increased by 

5%.

• FY18: 69% White; 31% Historically Underrepresented Groups

• FY17: 69% White; 31% Historically Underrepresented Groups

• FY15: 72% White; 28% Historically Underrepresented Groups

• FY13: 74% White; 26% Historically Underrepresented Groups

10/1/2017 - 

9/30/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

No Advisory Board 

Diversity

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

ASA ASA Advisory Board 

Demographics

Over the past five years, gender representation of Advisory Board 

members has remained relatively constant.

• FY18: 42% Female; 58% Male

• FY17: 42% Female; 58% Male

• FY15: 41% Female; 59% Male

• FY13: 41% Female; 59% Male

10/1/2017 - 

9/30/2018 Completed Women No Institution fundraising Program Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

ASA ASA

New Member 

Advisory Board 

Demographics

In recent years, the diversity of new advisory board members has 

increased in both diverse ethnicities and gender. 

• FY18: 20 of 62 new members came from ethnically diverse 

backgrounds (32%)

• FY17: 31 out of 78 new members came from ethnically diverse 

backgrounds (40%) 

Gender:

• FY18: 29 of 62 new members were female (47%) 

• FY17: 37 out of 78 new members were female (47%)

10/1/2017 - 

9/30/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders; 

Women

Yes Institution fundraising Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

131
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

ASA ASA

Friends of the 

Smithsonian/James 

Smithson Society 

Event

The event shed light on the use of Native American logos in 

American advertising, and educated attendees about dialogue 

with Native Americans to reduce use without permissions, and the 

history of how American business has co-opted Native American 

images. There were 162 attendees.

3/28/2018 Completed Native Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

ASA ASA

James Smithson 

Society event

Lecture featured SAAM curator Leslie Umberger, and profiled 

African American Bill Traylor, an artist who is the only known self 

taught artist to have emerged from slavery. There were 100 

attendees.

7/25/2018 Completed African Americans No Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

ASA ASA Annual Smithsonian 

Weekend

The event included the following:

--NMAfA Director Gus Casely-Hayford presented

--American Women’s History Initiative introduced

--Culture Rescue presentation featuring Iraq and Nepal

--Freer/Sackler new initiatives and art profiled

--Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage featured at SLS luncheon 

(of ASW)

--Tours for out of town members featuring NMAAHC exhibitions

6/1/2018-

6/2/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Native Americans

Women

Yes Public Programming Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

ASA ASA Member and Donor 

Communications

Outreach to 90,000+ current members and donors and an 

additional 40,000+ lapsed members and donors. In FY18, we 

promoted specific programming and exhibitions at APAC, NMAI., 

NMAAHC, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Latino Center, 

the Women’s History Initiative and Smithsonian Affiliates.

10/1/2017 - 

9/30/2018 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Native Americans

Women

No

Donor and Member 

Communications

Program 

Diversity

Other Programming for 

Adults

ASA ASA

Smithsonian 

Advancement 

Diversity & 

Inclusion Initiative 

Launched Fall 2018; 3 workgroups established to promote 

diversity within department and with donors (Recruitment and 

Hiring; Internships and Outreach and Learning Opportunities)

10/1/2018 - 

Ongoing In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Native Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No

Recruitment

Training

Internships

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

132
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

ASA ASA CASE Diversity 

Internship program

OA will be hosting 3 paid internships this summer and will cost 

share with the units (NMAI, SAAM and SLC) 

6/1/2019 - 

8/30/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Native Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

ASA ASA

CASE Diversity 

Internship Conference 

Kick-off

We will host approx. 100 interns from around the country for the 

kick-off to their 3 day DC conference at NMAI; the ASA and NMAI 

Director of Development will address the group 

6/1/2019 - 

8/30/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Native Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Internships Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

ASA ASA Diversity Summit

A CASE VCF grant has been applied for requesting to continue the 

diversity work with Georgetown and George Washington 

Universities that were begun last summer

10/1/2018 - 

9/30/2019 In Progress

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Native Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Recruitment

Workforce 

Diversity

College/University

Masters

PhD

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

133
Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report - FY 2019

Direct

Report

SI

Unit Title Description Date(s) Status UnderrepresentedGroup(s) Engaged STEM Type Diversity Category Audience

ASA ASA

Cultural Awareness 

and Humility 

Session 

OA organized and financially supported a full-day session that 

focused on cultural awareness and humility for all advancement 

staff (OA and units). The session was facilitated by Christina Chang. 

This session helped us to develop an understanding of implicit bias 

– the attitudes and stereotypes that affect our understanding, 

actions, and decisions in an unconscious way. The session focused 

on identifying our own personal assumptions and beliefs, 

understanding our own biases and learning how we can all help 

create a more equitable workplace. Each of us need to be selfaware and reflect on this topic, and as a first step we would like to 

provide an opportunity for our entire team to come together to 

discuss and put a voice to ideas that will allow us to be more 

intentional and strategic in our diversity and inclusion efforts. 

9/16/2019 Completed

African Americans

Asian Americans

Hispanics

Individuals with Disabilities

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Native Americans

Residents of Under-resourced 

Communities

No Cultural Awareness

Program 

Diversity

Supplier 

Diversity

Workforce 

Diversity

Other Programing for 

Adults

Prepared by the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

134