Smithsonian Launches Secretary’s Youth Advisory Council

The Smithsonian hosted the first meeting of its Smithsonian Secretary’s Youth Advisory Council April 6 at the National Museum of American History. The council was established by Secretary David Skorton as a way for the Smithsonian to gain advice from young people in the Washington, D.C., community and insight on how well it resonates with area youth.

“The Smithsonian Secretary’s Youth Advisory Council ensures that the thoughts and ideas of the young people in our community help guide the important work we do at the Institution,” Skorton said. “By giving feedback directly to Smithsonian leadership on our programming and how we engage visitors, we can better involve this important group and ensure we are doing all that we can to meet their needs.”

“I commend Secretary Skorton for reaching out to our young people and making sure their voices are heard,” said Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser. “The Smithsonian offers incredible resources and programming for our youth, and this kind of engagement will ensure that the Smithsonian’s offerings continue to appeal to people of all ages.”

The objectives of the council are to:

• Acknowledge the voices of youth residents in the Washington area as represented by participating teens
• Gather input from participating teens on methods of digital and object-based learning
• Identify and test new ideas by leveraging insight from the council members

The council includes 12 teens ranging in age from 16 to 19 who reside in the Washington metropolitan area. The teens must be enrolled full time in high school and available to meet in person four times per year at the Smithsonian. Members of the council serve for one term (March to May and September to November) with an option to serve a second term.

Participants also complete a mini-project between meetings, which includes thinking critically about a proposed idea or issue, researching it and preparing a short presentation, which they will give at a future meeting.

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