The National Science Foundation (NSF) has a long history of investment in broadening participation (BP) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. A review of past NSF BP efforts provides insights into how the portfolio of programs and activities has evolved and the broad array of innovative strategies that has been…

Operating a museum in a high poverty, underserved area creates many challenges related to accessibility, programming, and funding. Over the course of nearly a decade, the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery (OVMoD) has identified several organizational practices that help mitigate these challenges. Located in the southeastern corner of Appalachian…

This year, as every year, was a period of change, innovation and great progress for the Smithsonian. Among many accomplishments, the Smithsonian marked an extraordinary milestone: the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This breathtaking museum gives proper place, now and forever, to a vital part of America's…

In 2015, the Smithsonian welcomed hundreds of thousands of people to the newly renovated Renwick Gallery (p. 6), their scientists peered to the edge of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way (p. 18), and their anthropologists helped identify the remains of leaders of the Jamestown colony (p. 28). The theme of this year's annual report is…

For over a century, field stations have been important entryways for scientists to study and make important discoveries about the natural world. They are centers of research, conservation, education, and public outreach, often embedded in natural environments that range from remote to densely populated urban locations. Because they lack…

Two big milestones marked 2014 for the Smithsonian Institution. First, Dr. David Skorton was elected 13th Secretary. Academic leader, cardiologist, and musician, Dr. Skorton and his wife, Professor Robin Davisson, come to the Smithsonian from Cornell University. Dr. Skorton has served as Cornell's president since 2006 and holds academic…

All corners of the media are scrutinising David Cameron's "Big Society", from every conceivable angle. While the concept has caught the public's imagination, the greater challenge of fleshing out what the Big Society will actually offer and require of communities is unfinished business. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations…

This paper presents the activities of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for 2009. The past year was one of accomplishment for USAC. USAC implemented a host of advances in operations, infrastructure, and outreach in an effort to continue to improve collection and disbursement of the Universal Service Fund (USF) support and to…

This volume explores whether the nation's early childhood programs are boosting child development and preparing children for schooling and proposes reforms that would improve the programs. The volume contains contrasting papers on the success of Head Start, Early Head Start, and home-visiting programs and on policies that would improve these three…

The National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges' Kellogg Commission notes the perception that "despite the resources and expertise available on our campuses, our institutions are not well organized to bring them to bear on local problems in a coherent way." This article suggests some organizational patterns and…

Explores reasons to create special events, change existing events, or discontinue events, in the pursuit of new audiences. Describes surveys of usership at Cleveland Metroparks to identify new audiences. Effective event design and implementation requires effective advertising, which is expensive, so a discussion of fund development, branding, and…

Founded in 1968, Program Funding, Inc. (PFI) is a statewide comprehensive agency delivering programs to farmworkers wherever they work and reside in New York. PFI has encouraged State, Federal, and private agencies to make new commitments to farmworkers and has been able to maintain the support of those agency personnel who set the precedents of…

This report includes national and state summary data on public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with an introduction, selected findings, and tables. The report is based on data from the Public Libraries Survey for fiscal year 2005, and includes information on service measures such as number of users of electronic resources,…

The concentration of disadvantaged people in the major cities of the United States requires new programs of the urban library. Libraries must actively intervene to provide information and referral services on the problems of daily living and should serve as cultural institutions, reflecting the various ethnic orientations to be found in the city.…

The youth development approach has gained traction over the past twenty-plus years, across a range of youth-serving fields, including public health. While it is important for Adolescent Health Coordinators, other practitioners and policy makers focused on youth to be familiar with youth development concepts, it is critically important that they…