New USA Today Collaboration: “Inspiration Nation”

Download the third in a series fun, educational learning guides for K-8 students.

We are pleased to announce another installment in the ongoing collaboration between the Office of the Under Secretary for Education, the Office of Communications and External Affairs, the Office of Advancement, and the Smithsonian education community. On June 7, we are launching “Inspiration Nation,” a summer learning guide for K­–8 students. The latest in a series published in collaboration with USA TODAY, this edition joins other successful joint educational offerings like “Summer Road Trip,” “Winter at Home,” and “Yesterday, Today,” giving the Smithsonian new ways to reach learners across the country.

The lack of home access to computers or reliable internet connections has exacerbated the “digital divide” for many students, especially as they have had to adjust to online learning. The education team has worked to bridge this divide by creating an impressive array of high-quality, no- and low-tech educational materials accessible to all, including the incorporation of bilingual Spanish/English language content. “Inspiration Nation” draws from Institution-wide resources to create a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary experience that only the Smithsonian can provide.

Assembled by the Smithsonian’s educational experts, some of the activities include:

• A Smithsonian Environmental Research Center-inspired experiment kids can do to find out about DNA
• A lesson in designing persuasive and striking posters about social issues by the Smithsonian Latino Center
• Reimagining one of our most iconic symbols, the Statue of Liberty, taking inspiration from its depictions in the National Museum of American History and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Collaboration is key to having greater reach and impact on our audiences. Already we have seen the benefit of working with USA TODAY on these educational inserts: 165,000 print copies of “Summer Road Trip” were distributed last summer, 1.8 million print copies of “Yesterday, Today” have been sent out, and 280,000 print copies of “Winter at Home” have been disseminated this year. In addition, the at-home, print-friendly versions of the publications have collectively been downloaded more than 20,000 times.

As new editions are released, we look forward to sharing them with you. For more information about “Inspiration Nation,” we invite you to check out this informative blog post on the Smithsonian Learning Lab website, where you can download the printable guide.

Congratulations to everyone involved in making this such a success, and thanks to the entire Smithsonian community for working so diligently these past 15 months to continue inspiring people across the country and around the world.

Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar                                     Julissa Marenco

Acting Under Secretary for Education                Assistant Secretary for Communications and

External Affairs

Chief Marketing Officer

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