Impacting the Affiliate Community
See the impact of a Smithsonian exhibition in an Affiliate community as staff from the Burke Museum of Natural History in Seattle, Washington, describe the exhibition Life in Once Cubic Foot.
Is the Smithsonian in your community?
Affiliate Directory
Affiliate Benefits
Photo courtesy of Greensboro History Museum
/ Lynn Donovan Photography
Find an Affiliate near you, browse distance learning resources, or learn how to become a Smithsonian Affiliate.
Is the Smithsonian in your neighborhood?
Find an Affiliate near you!
Affiliate Directory
Distance Learning
Photo courtesy of
Greensboro History Museum
/ Lynn Donovan Photography
Internships that Engage Young People
The Smithsonian collaborates with Affiliates to empower young people to address complex global challenges, create future museum advocates, and improve the world around them. The Smithsonian Digital Learning and Engagement Internship is one way we engage with young people. Explore their work on our internship page.
Learn How to Become a Smithsonian Affiliate
Considering an affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution? Core to our work is catalyzing public engagement, sparking curiosity and learning, and ultimately inspiring a deeper understanding of our world. Get to know Smithsonian Affiliations, what it means to be an engaged Affiliate, and the process for applying on our Learning Excursion pages.
Fostering Essential Community Conversations
At this watershed moment in American history, museums are finding a wide spectrum of ways to address injustice with their communities, and facilitate the difficult but essential dialogue that is necessary. Find resources from the Smithsonian and our Affiliates to help catalyze these conversations in your community.
Smithsonian Voices Blog
Featured Affiliate stories on the Smithsonian Voices blog. Learn more about submitting story ideas here.
Beyond Stereotypes: Portraits and Stories of Native American Women
Young People are Stepping Up in Climate Conversations
The Time is Now for Tackling Historical Illiteracy and Creating a New Type of Civic Participation
“Our Smithsonian Affiliation has enriched our entire community in wonderful, varied, and surprising ways. Smithsonian treasures, the expertise of noted Smithsonian scholars, and partnerships that have engaged a cross-section of our county have provided profoundly memorable experiences for those we serve. This important relationship is a point of pride for all of us.”
“It’s simply awesome to be an Affiliate and bring Smithsonian innovation to the nation’s heartland. Our recently opened Cherish Nebraska renovation was directly inspired by the National Museum of Natural History galleries, especially its Q?rius learning space. Next for us—high-impact Smithsonian education programs through the Lineage partnership, a cross-platform learning experience exploring the history of life on Earth.”
“Thanks to Smithsonian Affiliations we are able to bring special experiences to our community, like screenings of The Day We Walked on the Moon, a Smithsonian Channel film, and programs like Let’s Do History for area teachers. We are especially thankful for the role Smithsonian Affiliations has taken in the support of our current SITES exhibition American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. The exhibition has inspired us so much we created a virtual reality game and reinterpreted the whole museum as part of our own Project Democracy 20/20.”
