Descriptive Entry

This accession consists of records created and maintained during the tenure of Claudine K. Brown, Assistant Secretary for Education and Access (ASEA), who was responsible for defining the Smithsonian's education program. To accomplish this goal Brown worked to develop an Institution-wide plan for educational initiatives, assessment strategies and funding for students in the K-12 range. Additionally, Brown oversaw some of the Smithsonian's educational organizations such as the Smithsonian Science Education Center (formerly known as the National Science Resources Center), the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access (formerly known as the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies), the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), Smithsonian Affiliations, and Smithsonian Associates, as well as coordinated the efforts of 32 education-based offices in museums and science centers.

The programs documented include Waterways, a five-year initiative to engage learners of all ages as stewards of water by teaching about where water comes from and where it goes, how water affects all living things and the relationship of water to weather; the 21st digital museum; Americans All, an initiative to explore and understand how the country has grown and changed as a result of migration and immigration; and MySI, or My Smithsonian, an initiative by ASEA to create a participant access system and serve as a single access point for Smithsonian educational programs and resources.

Materials include correspondence, memoranda, reports, surveys, notes, retreat records, presentations, financial records, strategic plans, clippings, and other related records.