Feb

2018 Education Awards recognize outstanding achievement and innovation

2018 Smithsonian Education Awards. (Photo by Michael Barnes)

The Smithsonian Education Awards honor outstanding achievements in education and recognize creativity, excellence, and commitment to serving the nation through educational programming, exhibits, publications, and digital media. The awards are:

The Smithsonian Education Achievement Award: honors consistent and outstanding performance in education.
The Smithsonian Education Innovation Award: recognizes an outstanding program, resource, or other initiative in education.

The $5,000 cash awards are open to all Smithsonian employees and may be used to participate in national conferences (to make presentations or serve on committees), purchase professional journals or publications, make site visits to observe other programs, register in continuing education or university coursework, or develop new education initiatives.

2018 Recipients of the Smithsonian Education Achievement Awards

Elizabeth holds award standing next to Secretary

Secretary David Skorton and ELizabeth Dale-Deines (Photo by Michael Barnes

Elizabeth Dale-Deines, Teacher Programs Coordinator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, receives the Achievement Award for her commitment to meeting the diverse needs of teachers and students in creative and impactful ways. A strong leader and collaborator who has worked tirelessly to design and facilitate a wide range of programs in distance learning, accessibility, teacher training, and much more, her efforts consistently strengthen participants’ skills and confidence and guide them towards deep, meaningful understanding.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Education: https://americanart.si.edu/education

The Smithsonian Science for Global Goals team, from the Smithsonian Science Education Center, with the 2018 Innovation Award. Top row, left to right: Amy D’Amico, Katherine Blanchard, Ashley Deese, Carol O’Donnell, Hannah Osborn, Jean Flanagan, and Francine Baker. Bottom row: Secretary David Skorton, Heidi Gibson, Katya Vines, Inola Walston, Brian Mandell, Andre Radloff, and Eric Nastasi. (Photo by Michael Barnes)

Smithsonian Science for Global Goals, from the Smithsonian Science Education Center, receives the Innovation Award for its boundary-pushing approach to helping students across the globe understand critical socio-scientific issues and how they can take action in their local communities to make a difference. The project’s inquiry-based education modules, each focusing on a complex issue such as the challenges and mitigation of mosquito-borne illness and flexibly designed to meet classroom and regional needs, promise to engage and inspire a new generation of scientifically literate global citizens.

Smithsonian Science for Global Goals: https://ssec.si.edu/global-goals