Exhibiting the Best of the Smithsonian with Jennifer Collins and Nicole Webster

1
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,860
Welcome to AMSEcast, coming to you from Oak Ridge, Tennessee,

2
00:00:08,179 --> 00:00:11,500
a global leader in science, technology, and innovation.

3
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,309
My name is Alan Lowe, director of the American Museum

4
00:00:15,339 --> 00:00:18,730
of Science and Energy, and the K-25 History Center.

5
00:00:19,710 --> 00:00:23,070
Each episode of AMSEcast presents world-renowned authors,

6
00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:27,480
scientists, historians, policymakers, and everyone in between,

7
00:00:27,929 --> 00:00:31,100
sharing their insights on a variety of fascinating topics.

8
00:00:34,830 --> 00:00:36,110
Welcome to AMSEcast.

9
00:00:36,449 --> 00:00:40,100
I’m excited to be recording this episode at one of my favorite museums on the

10
00:00:40,100 --> 00:00:44,660
planet, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

11
00:00:45,500 --> 00:00:48,830
As I hope you know, AMSE is a proud Smithsonian affiliate.

12
00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:51,580
We so appreciate our tremendous partnership and look forward

13
00:00:51,580 --> 00:00:54,730
to doing even more with our Smithsonian friends in the future.

14
00:00:55,180 --> 00:00:57,580
Joining me today at the National Museum of Natural

15
00:00:57,580 --> 00:01:00,540
History are Nicole Webster and Jennifer Collins.

16
00:01:00,830 --> 00:01:05,140
Nicole serves as the manager of school and teacher programs at the museum, and

17
00:01:05,140 --> 00:01:09,179
Jennifer serves as Learning Experience Manager for exhibits and initiatives.

18
00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,709
They both bring to their positions a wealth of

19
00:01:11,709 --> 00:01:14,340
experience in formal and informal education.

20
00:01:14,580 --> 00:01:16,539
So, Nicole and Jennifer, welcome to AMSEcast.

21
00:01:17,199 --> 00:01:18,039
Great, thank you.

22
00:01:18,140 --> 00:01:18,990
Yeah, thanks for having us.

23
00:01:19,060 --> 00:01:20,600
It is awesome to be here.

24
00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,190
I told Jennifer, while we were downstairs, that when I worked

25
00:01:24,190 --> 00:01:27,120
at the National Archives, this was one of my go-to places.

26
00:01:27,469 --> 00:01:30,129
If I could take a long lunch, or if I could take the

27
00:01:30,130 --> 00:01:32,690
afternoon off and act like I was doing something else,

28
00:01:33,470 --> 00:01:35,750
[laugh] this is where I would come and go around the exhibits.

29
00:01:35,750 --> 00:01:38,330
I can’t wait to dive into them more today.

30
00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,200
But just to start, can you tell us a bit about when this terrific museum

31
00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,490
opened, and has it always been in this amazing building here in Washington?

32
00:01:48,260 --> 00:01:51,270
So, the building that we are currently sitting in that everyone knows

33
00:01:51,270 --> 00:01:55,400
as the National Museum of Natural History opened on March 17th, 1910,

34
00:01:56,429 --> 00:01:59,960
as the US National Museum, so not yet the Natural History Museum.

35
00:01:59,969 --> 00:02:04,610
So, when the Smithsonian was first founded in 1846 all our

36
00:02:04,610 --> 00:02:08,669
collections and research was actually across the National Mall in

37
00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,030
the Smithsonian Institution building in what we call the Castle now.

38
00:02:13,430 --> 00:02:15,689
And then, eventually that filled up.

39
00:02:16,250 --> 00:02:17,390
We needed more space.

40
00:02:17,420 --> 00:02:20,949
We moved next door to what is now called the Arts & Industries Building,

41
00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,790
and they are collecting things from surveys of the American West and

42
00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,890
United States exploring expeditions, getting more and more and more.

43
00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,040
The Arts & Industries building is bursting at the seams, so

44
00:02:33,380 --> 00:02:37,530
now we are moving across the mall, and we opened, and they

45
00:02:37,530 --> 00:02:40,069
were building, and they moved all the big collections here.

46
00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:42,590
But when it first opened as the US National Museum,

47
00:02:42,610 --> 00:02:46,080
it had arts, it had history, and it also had science.

48
00:02:46,090 --> 00:02:48,480
So, it was all the Smithsonian’s holdings, mostly.

49
00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:49,600
All the above.

50
00:02:49,610 --> 00:02:50,150
That’s amazing.

51
00:02:50,420 --> 00:02:53,600
I will say the affiliates meeting this week has been in the Arts & Industries

52
00:02:53,620 --> 00:02:57,200
Building, which I could see is undergoing a renovation right now, so that was

53
00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,469
kind of cool to be there at one of the original places of the Smithsonian.

54
00:03:00,490 --> 00:03:02,710
So, a great history here.

55
00:03:02,830 --> 00:03:05,380
How many people, typically each year, come to this museum?

56
00:03:05,450 --> 00:03:11,119
So, we get over 4 million visitors on site to this museum, and then we

57
00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,630
get over 10 million accessing us online, as well because we also have our

58
00:03:15,670 --> 00:03:19,200
exhibits virtually, and then a suite of, like, resources for everyone.

59
00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:20,900
So yeah, 4 million in person, but then

60
00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:24,020
over 10 million also visiting us virtually.

61
00:03:24,090 --> 00:03:27,649
Wow, I will say AMSE and the K-25 Atomic History Center, we’re

62
00:03:27,650 --> 00:03:31,519
popular, but we don’t get quite [laugh] 4 million people a year.

63
00:03:31,650 --> 00:03:32,299
We hope, you know?

64
00:03:32,299 --> 00:03:33,839
That’s an aspiration for us.

65
00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,660
Before I forget to ask, where online can people go to get to those resources?

66
00:03:37,670 --> 00:03:39,590
So, our website is

67
00:03:42,020 --> 00:03:42,590
naturalhistory.si.edu.

68
00:03:42,790 --> 00:03:43,700
Okay, very good.

69
00:03:44,250 --> 00:03:46,230
Now, it’s a very unique institution.

70
00:03:46,230 --> 00:03:49,529
Let’s talk a bit about now why that’s the case.

71
00:03:49,910 --> 00:03:52,079
A little bit about the collections obviously,

72
00:03:52,079 --> 00:03:54,540
a very eclectic set of materials you have here.

73
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,820
Perhaps, can you tell us some examples of the holdings, maybe your

74
00:03:57,830 --> 00:04:00,820
favorite or some of the most popular things in the collections.

75
00:04:00,970 --> 00:04:03,299
One thing that I think most people don’t realize

76
00:04:03,309 --> 00:04:05,589
about our collections is, one, they’re huge.

77
00:04:05,590 --> 00:04:09,310
We have over 148 million objects in our collection.

78
00:04:09,580 --> 00:04:15,000
They don’t all fit here, so we have a suite of conservators, and

79
00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,450
collections managers, and museum technicians that take care of

80
00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,320
all these holdings, but they’re both here at the Natural History

81
00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,500
Museum, but we also—in Maryland—have a museum support center.

82
00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:28,959
So, it’s a huge operation to take care of all these collections.

83
00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,210
But a lot of times, when people think about our collections,

84
00:04:32,210 --> 00:04:34,680
they think about the amazing things that are on display.

85
00:04:34,700 --> 00:04:37,880
They think about Henry, who is the African bush elephant

86
00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,980
that’s in the rotunda, they think about the Hope Diamond, they

87
00:04:40,980 --> 00:04:44,439
think about our dinosaurs, but they don’t realize that our

88
00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,249
scientists are using these objects to conduct their research.

89
00:04:47,250 --> 00:04:50,370
So, that’s a big thing that people think, why do

90
00:04:50,370 --> 00:04:53,740
you have all these objects, and it’s for research.

91
00:04:53,900 --> 00:04:56,600
But if I were to say my favorite, it would

92
00:04:56,610 --> 00:04:58,450
be things from the Education Collection.

93
00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,859
I think if I had to pick today, [laugh] on this recording—

94
00:05:02,990 --> 00:05:03,409
Yes, you do.

95
00:05:03,460 --> 00:05:06,460
My favorite would be, we have a polar bear skull

96
00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:09,290
in our education collection that is touchable.

97
00:05:09,540 --> 00:05:13,700
So, visitors and students can actually, like, interact with this

98
00:05:13,730 --> 00:05:17,180
animal and look at it, and it’s just this awe inspiring collection

99
00:05:17,180 --> 00:05:21,279
that we’re really lucky to have that’s touchable to inspire people.

100
00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:23,000
So, I think that’s actually my favorite thing.

101
00:05:23,309 --> 00:05:25,420
I don’t know how Jen feels, what your favorite is.

102
00:05:25,420 --> 00:05:25,490
Yeah, please.

103
00:05:25,990 --> 00:05:26,033
What are yours?

104
00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:26,360
Yeah.

105
00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,520
So, a couple of my favorites are actually in the

106
00:05:29,550 --> 00:05:32,250
research collections, in invertebrate zoology.

107
00:05:32,559 --> 00:05:36,859
So, probably most people are familiar with the little pill bugs or roly-polys.

108
00:05:37,110 --> 00:05:41,739
They’re isopods, and we have in our collection these giant isopods from the

109
00:05:41,740 --> 00:05:46,570
deep sea that are about the size of a football, and they are spectacular.

110
00:05:46,860 --> 00:05:48,490
So, I think that’s one of my favorites.

111
00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:55,219
We also have one of the only—if not the only—giant squid eye that is preserved

112
00:05:55,250 --> 00:05:59,840
in our invertebrate zoology collection, and that is the size of a dinner plate.

113
00:05:59,940 --> 00:06:02,170
And they are not easy to find.

114
00:06:02,370 --> 00:06:02,930
I’m sure.

115
00:06:03,470 --> 00:06:06,390
You just don’t go out and say, “Hey, I want a giant squid eye,” right?

116
00:06:07,940 --> 00:06:10,449
No, I can attest to the coolness of the giant squid eye.

117
00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,580
I have many a teacher that has selfies with the giant squid eye—

118
00:06:14,580 --> 00:06:14,649
Yes.

119
00:06:14,649 --> 00:06:14,789
Yes, yes.

120
00:06:14,789 --> 00:06:16,769
—that they like to take back and show their students because it’s

121
00:06:16,779 --> 00:06:20,260
such a rare thing to have, and so impressive to see in person.

122
00:06:20,260 --> 00:06:22,220
Well, you mentioned the scientific staff

123
00:06:22,690 --> 00:06:25,050
learning from utilizing these collections.

124
00:06:25,110 --> 00:06:26,370
How big is that staff?

125
00:06:26,410 --> 00:06:28,480
What are the kind of disciplines represented?

126
00:06:28,770 --> 00:06:35,569
So, we have over 350 people that are working in this museum.

127
00:06:35,590 --> 00:06:38,150
The bulk of them are science staff, but then, like I mentioned

128
00:06:38,150 --> 00:06:42,020
before, there’s also people in exhibits, communication,

129
00:06:42,030 --> 00:06:43,930
you know, people that just keep the building running.

130
00:06:43,930 --> 00:06:46,050
So, it’s a pretty big staff of around 400.

131
00:06:47,210 --> 00:06:49,570
And we have different research departments.

132
00:06:49,570 --> 00:06:51,350
And let me see, I think I can do this off the top of my head.

133
00:06:52,250 --> 00:06:52,779
Correct me if I’m wrong.

134
00:06:52,779 --> 00:06:57,590
So, we have anthropology, botany, paleobiology,

135
00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:02,890
vertebrate zoology, invertebrate zoology, entomology—

136
00:07:03,679 --> 00:07:04,349
Mineral science.

137
00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:04,990
Mineral science.

138
00:07:05,130 --> 00:07:06,440
Oh, apologies to mineral science.

139
00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:08,870
But we also have various laboratories, too.

140
00:07:08,910 --> 00:07:09,359
Very good.

141
00:07:09,549 --> 00:07:13,000
Yeah, and our vertebrate zoology department is broken up

142
00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:17,860
into mammals, birds, fish, and then amphibians and reptiles.

143
00:07:17,860 --> 00:07:20,039
So, it’s kind of an enormous department.

144
00:07:20,460 --> 00:07:23,280
Well, just the name alone, Natural History, you have a lot under that

145
00:07:23,679 --> 00:07:26,680
title, so it’s pretty impressive you can do it with just 400 people.

146
00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,340
That’s really amazing.

147
00:07:28,350 --> 00:07:31,590
And of course, one way you present that information

148
00:07:31,590 --> 00:07:34,469
are through some stunning, truly exceptional exhibits.

149
00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,330
Can you tell us a bit about how those exhibits are put together, the

150
00:07:38,330 --> 00:07:41,420
themes, and so forth, of how those are chosen and how they’re presented.

151
00:07:41,700 --> 00:07:42,460
Sure.

152
00:07:42,670 --> 00:07:47,139
Depending on how you count exhibits, we have almost 20 different

153
00:07:47,170 --> 00:07:50,900
exhibits, and they’re both permanent ones, which means they’re

154
00:07:50,910 --> 00:07:54,419
not likely to go away, and then temporary ones that usually

155
00:07:54,420 --> 00:07:58,260
are designed to stay here between two and eight years, maybe.

156
00:07:58,429 --> 00:08:01,200
The way that they’re designed is actually by team.

157
00:08:01,219 --> 00:08:04,950
And on this team, you have exhibit staff, so you have a

158
00:08:04,950 --> 00:08:09,359
program manager, you have writers, designers, and developers.

159
00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,580
There’s always an educator on each design

160
00:08:12,590 --> 00:08:15,719
team, in addition to relevant curators.

161
00:08:16,230 --> 00:08:20,859
And so, the exhibits, to come to fruition, it can take anywhere

162
00:08:20,860 --> 00:08:24,689
from two years to over ten years to develop an exhibit.

163
00:08:24,750 --> 00:08:26,640
They start in a number of ways.

164
00:08:26,890 --> 00:08:32,140
Sometimes it’s—we had an outbreak exhibit that left and is now traveling.

165
00:08:32,260 --> 00:08:35,520
That was very topical, and so we collaborated

166
00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,280
with folks like NIH to put that on.

167
00:08:38,580 --> 00:08:41,549
Sometimes our curators will bring an exhibit.

168
00:08:41,699 --> 00:08:45,360
One of our most recent ones to open is Cellphone: Unseen

169
00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,010
Connections, and this was really the inspiration of one

170
00:08:49,010 --> 00:08:53,070
of our anthropologists who has expertise in this area.

171
00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,989
They all kind of are focused, obviously, on natural history

172
00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,900
and elevating people’s connections to natural history.

173
00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:05,490
Sometimes our exhibits are launched as a collaboration.

174
00:09:05,490 --> 00:09:09,950
So, the ocean hall that we have here is a strong collaboration with NOAA that

175
00:09:09,990 --> 00:09:14,449
opened over ten years ago, and we just recently opened an exhibit—temporary

176
00:09:14,450 --> 00:09:19,729
exhibit—called the earth information center that was a collaboration with NASA.

177
00:09:20,100 --> 00:09:20,980
So, it really varies.

178
00:09:21,030 --> 00:09:21,350
Yeah.

179
00:09:21,970 --> 00:09:26,090
So, I can’t wait to go and see all the new things since I’ve last been here.

180
00:09:26,550 --> 00:09:31,109
But as I noted in the introduction, you’re both engaged in education here.

181
00:09:31,110 --> 00:09:33,449
So, let’s dive into education initiatives.

182
00:09:33,759 --> 00:09:36,610
How many students—of those 4 million people a year, how

183
00:09:36,610 --> 00:09:39,780
many students do you typically serve here every year?

184
00:09:40,300 --> 00:09:47,429
So, we serve a variety of people, from families, adults, general visitors,

185
00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:51,230
the community, but then students; of course, my favorite audience.

186
00:09:51,460 --> 00:09:57,220
One of the tricky things about being big free museum is that while

187
00:09:57,220 --> 00:10:02,280
we do audience research, we don’t know exactly how many students come

188
00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,320
through our doors if they’re not doing one of our registered programs.

189
00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:06,709
And hopefully in the future, we’ll be able

190
00:10:06,710 --> 00:10:08,520
to have a little more information about that.

191
00:10:08,940 --> 00:10:12,499
But as far as the programs that we design for students

192
00:10:12,540 --> 00:10:15,500
and our museum educators lead, we have the capacity to

193
00:10:15,500 --> 00:10:19,850
serve up to 25,000 a year, both on site and virtual.

194
00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,479
So, we do on-site programs for our students where they come to

195
00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:28,150
our education center, get to experience collections-based science

196
00:10:28,150 --> 00:10:32,910
learning like our scientists do, but we also have virtual programs

197
00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:37,220
for them to be able to engage in our content, see our collections,

198
00:10:37,230 --> 00:10:40,569
even if they can’t physically walk through the doors of our museum.

199
00:10:40,969 --> 00:10:43,130
Sounds like what we do on a much larger-scale.

200
00:10:43,130 --> 00:10:45,690
We have in-person and virtual; outreach

201
00:10:45,690 --> 00:10:47,889
educators going out in the classrooms as well.

202
00:10:48,119 --> 00:10:53,150
I wondered, as you said that, you have so many different audiences coming here.

203
00:10:53,530 --> 00:10:57,120
As you craft those educational programs, how do you say—I know they have

204
00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,430
diverse backgrounds, diverse interests coming in these school groups in

205
00:11:00,430 --> 00:11:04,229
particular, it’s looking at those that you know, how do you address that?

206
00:11:04,230 --> 00:11:07,150
How do you make sure that your programs fit their needs?

207
00:11:07,270 --> 00:11:07,560
Yeah.

208
00:11:07,570 --> 00:11:10,690
For schools, that’s a good question because we want to make

209
00:11:10,690 --> 00:11:13,210
sure that we are authentically serving their needs, but

210
00:11:13,210 --> 00:11:16,210
then also being authentic to the mission of the museum.

211
00:11:16,599 --> 00:11:22,780
So, when I look at developing programs, we look at three main things.

212
00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,350
So, it is that it’s tied to natural history content.

213
00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:30,960
The Smithsonian has other science-serving institutions, so we’re

214
00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:34,285
not going to have a program on aerospace because the Aerospace

215
00:11:34,540 --> 00:11:37,020
Museum is going to be able to much better serve that audience.

216
00:11:37,020 --> 00:11:40,810
So, looking within the work that our scientists are doing, we

217
00:11:40,810 --> 00:11:44,300
are aligning to next generation science standards to be able to

218
00:11:44,330 --> 00:11:47,400
hit as many students as we can and help teachers with alignment.

219
00:11:47,770 --> 00:11:52,209
And we’re also talking to local teachers, science

220
00:11:52,210 --> 00:11:53,989
curriculum heads to see, what is their need?

221
00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:55,330
What are the trends they see?

222
00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:59,119
What are the subjects that they need the most help with this year?

223
00:11:59,119 --> 00:12:00,470
Is it Earth science?

224
00:12:00,470 --> 00:12:01,450
Is it life science?

225
00:12:01,450 --> 00:12:03,689
So, when we’re designing new things, we want to make sure

226
00:12:03,690 --> 00:12:07,220
we’re being responsive to the needs of their audiences.

227
00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,770
The goal is not that every student that walks

228
00:12:09,770 --> 00:12:12,589
through the our doors is going to become a scientist.

229
00:12:12,820 --> 00:12:15,509
We want them to have a positive association with science,

230
00:12:15,509 --> 00:12:18,330
we want them to have a positive association with the museum.

231
00:12:18,620 --> 00:12:21,390
We’re increasing something that I focus a lot on, called

232
00:12:21,390 --> 00:12:24,319
their science capital, which is a little bit of everything.

233
00:12:24,370 --> 00:12:28,780
It spans the discipline of scientific literacy, what you know, who you

234
00:12:28,780 --> 00:12:33,999
know, just kind of how you fit within that science ecosystem as a learner.

235
00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,520
And it’s really, I want them to come out having had a great day,

236
00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:41,880
learn something, but in the end, wanting to learn more about

237
00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,150
science or wanting to come back to the museum is my big goals.

238
00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,470
And I’ll just elaborate just a tiny bit.

239
00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:52,610
So, in the exhibit spaces, we have a lot of different types of programs.

240
00:12:52,889 --> 00:12:55,610
Our audience, because of the volume that we get, and people

241
00:12:55,610 --> 00:12:58,260
come here and think, “Oh, I’m going to visit the Smithsonian,”

242
00:12:58,260 --> 00:13:02,089
and don’t realize that it’s many different museums across

243
00:13:02,090 --> 00:13:05,640
the mall, so we have very limited time with them, often.

244
00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:12,069
We really design our in-exhibit experiences around objects, and giving

245
00:13:12,070 --> 00:13:16,120
people direct connection with those objects, but also to our experts.

246
00:13:16,130 --> 00:13:19,650
So, we have a lot of programs where we bring the scientists,

247
00:13:19,650 --> 00:13:23,220
or post-docs, or visiting scientists into the exhibit

248
00:13:23,220 --> 00:13:27,800
halls and engage in two-way conversations and explorations.

249
00:13:28,250 --> 00:13:32,310
We train our volunteers and our staff to, kind of, foster two way

250
00:13:32,310 --> 00:13:37,270
dialog and try to assess a person’s interest, kind of, as quickly

251
00:13:37,270 --> 00:13:41,750
as possible so that they can help steer the conversation in the

252
00:13:41,750 --> 00:13:45,269
way that’s going to be most impactful for the audience member.

253
00:13:45,339 --> 00:13:46,070
That’s terrific.

254
00:13:46,309 --> 00:13:49,069
And you mentioned the multiple experiences

255
00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:50,860
here in Washington, with the Smithsonian.

256
00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,420
At the affiliates meeting, we had great presentations from folks

257
00:13:54,420 --> 00:13:57,590
representing the future women’s history, and Latino history museum.

258
00:13:58,190 --> 00:14:00,859
So, it’ll be even more that you can do in the future, when you

259
00:14:00,860 --> 00:14:04,960
can come to Washington, DC, and experience the Smithsonian.

260
00:14:05,289 --> 00:14:08,740
So, with the scientific staff and their engagement in

261
00:14:08,740 --> 00:14:12,000
that, I saw something online, the science liaison program.

262
00:14:12,030 --> 00:14:12,939
What is that?

263
00:14:13,450 --> 00:14:16,779
We have a science liaison program that comes out of our

264
00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,750
education department, and what we have is one educator

265
00:14:20,759 --> 00:14:25,329
who is aligned with one of the science departments.

266
00:14:25,530 --> 00:14:29,600
So, we have seven liaisons, seven departments, plus another

267
00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,900
liaison that works with our lab staff, and the whole goal

268
00:14:33,900 --> 00:14:37,470
of this group is to foster communication and collaboration

269
00:14:37,700 --> 00:14:42,469
between education and science, to the benefit of our audiences.

270
00:14:42,710 --> 00:14:50,380
And so, we work with them to develop programs, we offer them the

271
00:14:50,380 --> 00:14:53,430
science department’s audience engagement training, and help them

272
00:14:53,430 --> 00:14:56,839
craft conversations that they can bring out into the exhibits.

273
00:14:57,339 --> 00:15:02,050
All the work we do in education too, all of the content is vetted by our

274
00:15:02,050 --> 00:15:06,339
scientists, so that’s another way we kind of collaborate and communicate.

275
00:15:06,550 --> 00:15:11,229
We work with them on their broader impacts for research

276
00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,580
grants, so that we can help them fulfill their interests

277
00:15:14,580 --> 00:15:17,530
and needs when it comes to education and outreach.

278
00:15:17,730 --> 00:15:18,140
Interesting.

279
00:15:18,219 --> 00:15:18,449
Wow.

280
00:15:18,660 --> 00:15:21,340
You’re giving me all kinds of ideas I’m going to take back to Oak Ridge—

281
00:15:22,300 --> 00:15:22,329
[laugh]

282
00:15:22,499 --> 00:15:22,986
.
So, thank you for that.

283
00:15:23,180 --> 00:15:24,200
So, what about interns?

284
00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:25,890
Do you work with a lot with interns here?

285
00:15:26,210 --> 00:15:27,130
We do.

286
00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:32,879
We have interns in our science departments, but also in education.

287
00:15:33,349 --> 00:15:37,340
And I think one of the things that’s really strong

288
00:15:37,670 --> 00:15:42,950
across this museum is the way that we work with interns.

289
00:15:43,390 --> 00:15:46,439
It truly is about giving the interns an

290
00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:48,890
experience that’s going to be beneficial for them.

291
00:15:49,139 --> 00:15:53,219
So, they come to us with their ideas, their objectives, and it

292
00:15:53,219 --> 00:15:57,650
really is our role as mentors to help them fulfill those and

293
00:15:57,660 --> 00:16:02,730
to make connections, and to build their networks, their skills.

294
00:16:02,870 --> 00:16:06,120
It’s not a matter of, okay, we get extra help, and we’re

295
00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:07,439
going to put them to work doing things that we need.

296
00:16:07,439 --> 00:16:08,439
Yeah, make these copies, or

297
00:16:11,389 --> 00:16:11,449
whatever.

298
00:16:11,449 --> 00:16:11,590
[unintelligible] the old days.

299
00:16:11,590 --> 00:16:11,594
Yeah.

300
00:16:11,594 --> 00:16:15,980
So, an immense amount of time is put into fostering those experiences.

301
00:16:15,980 --> 00:16:18,430
And we really have a tremendous staff, I think,

302
00:16:18,430 --> 00:16:21,480
across the board, who take it really seriously.

303
00:16:21,809 --> 00:16:25,460
Yeah, and it’s part of our museum strategic plan right now.

304
00:16:25,460 --> 00:16:30,319
So, it’s a big initiative to think about not just the current

305
00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,370
scientists, but who the next generation of scientists are going to be.

306
00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,820
So, as part of our strategic plan, we have the Inclusive Science

307
00:16:36,820 --> 00:16:41,420
Initiative, so that is making sure we have these well rounded opportunities,

308
00:16:41,740 --> 00:16:46,010
but also moving forward to only having paid opportunities, so our

309
00:16:46,029 --> 00:16:49,630
internships are more accessible to a broader population of people.

310
00:16:49,630 --> 00:16:51,280
We’re not being exclusionary.

311
00:16:51,610 --> 00:16:55,140
Last fiscal year, we had over a hundred interns in the

312
00:16:55,140 --> 00:16:59,209
museum, but then also two hundred fellows, and these spread

313
00:16:59,370 --> 00:17:02,979
across all the different departments, including education.

314
00:17:03,230 --> 00:17:07,089
We have a research experience for undergrads that’s funded

315
00:17:07,089 --> 00:17:10,400
by NSF, called Natural History Research Experiences.

316
00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:15,620
We have a Summer Institute for Museum Anthropology for graduate students.

317
00:17:15,620 --> 00:17:19,110
So, we think about these different opportunities to

318
00:17:19,110 --> 00:17:22,330
serve people at different portions of their educational

319
00:17:22,330 --> 00:17:26,389
journey, so getting people in throughout a long process.

320
00:17:26,390 --> 00:17:29,460
And then also, especially—Jen does a lot of this work—we also

321
00:17:29,460 --> 00:17:32,590
have our Peter Buck Fellows, which are those that have obtained

322
00:17:32,590 --> 00:17:35,209
their doctorate degree, and then are coming into the museum.

323
00:17:35,210 --> 00:17:38,949
And she does a lot of that work with training and working with them to—yeah.

324
00:17:39,179 --> 00:17:43,330
So, I assume all those fellows, internships, those programs on the website.

325
00:17:43,330 --> 00:17:47,510
Is that how people—is that the gateway to learn how to apply for those things?

326
00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,990
Yeah, you can look there, but also, if anyone’s interested in just

327
00:17:52,050 --> 00:17:56,009
broader Smithsonian internships as well, the Smithsonian has an

328
00:17:56,020 --> 00:17:59,700
Office of Academic Appointments and Internships, abbreviated OAAI.

329
00:17:59,700 --> 00:18:03,670
So, if you search for them, you’re going to be able to

330
00:18:03,670 --> 00:18:07,590
see all of the opportunities across the Smithsonian.

331
00:18:07,910 --> 00:18:11,239
Because you may not even know, necessarily, what the

332
00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:12,879
Smithsonian [unintelligible] you’re interested in.

333
00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:16,180
Because we also have—even if you’re interested in science, like I spoke about

334
00:18:16,180 --> 00:18:20,340
before, there is Natural History, but there’s also the Air and Space Museum,

335
00:18:20,340 --> 00:18:23,700
there’s also the Environmental Research Center out in Edgewater, Maryland.

336
00:18:23,700 --> 00:18:27,330
So, there’s just a lot of offerings that maybe people don’t know about,

337
00:18:27,330 --> 00:18:31,059
and they can be exposed to through internships or other opportunities.

338
00:18:31,259 --> 00:18:31,810
Very good.

339
00:18:32,009 --> 00:18:33,550
And you mentioned volunteers earlier.

340
00:18:33,599 --> 00:18:36,669
Our volunteers are key to what we do at AMSE and K-25.

341
00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,030
Tell me about how volunteers are utilized here at the museum.

342
00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:45,090
Yeah, we have hundreds of volunteers, and we have two different types of those

343
00:18:45,110 --> 00:18:50,199
that are—ones that are public facing, and then those that are behind the scenes.

344
00:18:50,460 --> 00:18:56,020
So, the behind-the-scenes ones, they work in the science departments, and they

345
00:18:56,030 --> 00:19:01,429
help in a number of ways, doing collections, helping with data sets, you know,

346
00:19:01,430 --> 00:19:04,860
it really runs the gamut, depending on the research they’re aligned with.

347
00:19:05,139 --> 00:19:09,860
And then our public-facing volunteers, we have a couple of different types.

348
00:19:10,279 --> 00:19:14,000
One type are our info desk volunteers, and they really help

349
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,970
us foster a great experience for visitors who come in, so

350
00:19:18,970 --> 00:19:22,710
answering questions, those types of things, and then we have a

351
00:19:22,929 --> 00:19:28,430
cohort of volunteers that are aligned with specific exhibits.

352
00:19:28,660 --> 00:19:31,900
So, we don’t have volunteers in every exhibit, but they go through a rigorous

353
00:19:31,930 --> 00:19:38,730
training, and support system with our educators, so that they are excited and

354
00:19:38,730 --> 00:19:43,949
prepared to engage our millions of visitors in conversations and explorations.

355
00:19:44,340 --> 00:19:47,389
I’ve got to say my—and all Smithsonians, whenever I encounter

356
00:19:47,389 --> 00:19:49,659
a volunteer, they are extraordinarily well prepared and—

357
00:19:49,670 --> 00:19:50,020
Yes [laugh]

358
00:19:50,020 --> 00:19:51,140
.
—terrific at what they do.

359
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:51,860
They really are.

360
00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:52,970
Lifelong learners.

361
00:19:52,970 --> 00:19:53,770
Yeah, that’s true.

362
00:19:53,810 --> 00:19:54,390
That’s true.

363
00:19:54,650 --> 00:19:57,780
So, I can’t thank you enough for joining us

364
00:19:57,780 --> 00:20:01,249
here and hosting us here at this amazing museum.

365
00:20:01,250 --> 00:20:03,749
Thank you for what you do, and thanks for being on AMSEcast.

366
00:20:03,849 --> 00:20:04,240
Yes, thank you.

367
00:20:09,330 --> 00:20:09,720
Thank you.

368
00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:11,969
Thank you for joining us on this episode of AMSEcast.

369
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:16,720
For more information on this topic or any others, you can always visit us at

370
00:20:16,740 --> 00:20:23,420
AMSE.org or find, like, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

371
00:20:23,859 --> 00:20:26,179
I invite you to visit the American Museum of Science

372
00:20:26,180 --> 00:20:28,980
and Energy and the K-25 History Center in person.

373
00:20:29,300 --> 00:20:33,449
You can also shop at our online store and become a member at AMSE.org.

374
00:20:33,929 --> 00:20:37,370
Thanks to our production team with Matt Mullins, plus our supportive colleagues

375
00:20:37,370 --> 00:20:41,210
at the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Office of Environmental

376
00:20:41,210 --> 00:20:45,190
Management, and Office of Legacy Management, as well as Oak Ridge National

377
00:20:45,190 --> 00:20:51,040
Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex, NNSA, and the AMSE Foundation.

378
00:20:51,550 --> 00:20:53,269
And of course, thanks to our wonderful guests

379
00:20:53,270 --> 00:20:55,090
today, and to all of you for listening.

380
00:20:55,599 --> 00:20:58,440
I hope you’ll join us for the next episode of AMSEcast.

381
00:21:00,980 --> 00:21:03,960
If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, I would like to ask that you consider

382
00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:08,540
becoming a member of the 117 Society, the newest membership opportunity

383
00:21:08,590 --> 00:21:12,050
offered by the American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation.

384
00:21:12,820 --> 00:21:16,000
By joining the 117 Society, you will help us continue

385
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,810
this podcast and our other innovative programming.

386
00:21:19,190 --> 00:21:22,120
You will support the expansion of our vitally important educational

387
00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:25,990
outreach, including virtual classes, and you will help ensure that both

388
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,620
the American Museum of Science and Energy and the K-25 History Center can

389
00:21:30,620 --> 00:21:34,690
continue to provide world-class exhibits to our community and to the world.

390
00:21:35,529 --> 00:21:38,400
Benefits of membership includes special access to video

391
00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:42,610
and audio content, and 117 Society merchandise, as well

392
00:21:42,610 --> 00:21:45,539
as all the benefits of our Atom Splitter Membership Level.

393
00:21:46,139 --> 00:21:48,429
To learn more, go to AMSE.org.

394
00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:54,310
The 117 Society is vital to the future of AMSE and the K-25 History Center.

395
00:21:54,700 --> 00:21:57,350
I hope you will consider joining, and thank you very much.