One of many family science evenings at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum for 450 students, parents, and teachers from Washington, DC, metro-area schools. The Center oversees the program in partnership with the Museum. Click on Image for Details

The Center’s programs embrace stories of Earth and space that are meant to inspire young and old alike across a community, address strategic needs in science education, help create a scientifically literate public, ensure a next generation of scientists and engineers, and celebrate the life-long joys of learning and exploration.

Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Present, and Inspiring the Future
We believe that programming content should span the continuum of human exploration, including:

• Explorations of the past and how we have come to our current understanding of our world and the Universe, in order to celebrate human achievement and immerse audiences in the process of scientific inquiry;

• Present day explorations, providing relevance to our time through participation by the research community and the use of current news as teachable moments;

• A look to the future, to reveal the nature of debate on the current scientific frontier, and define what awaits the next generation.