About SEEC
A school rooted in
wonder and rigor.
For 38 years, SEEC has pursued a single conviction: that the best learning happens when children engage with real things in the real world.
Our Mission
What we believe.
SEEC's mission is to provide exceptional early childhood education rooted in inquiry, direct experience, and a deep partnership with the Smithsonian Institution's collections, exhibitions, and scholars.
We believe that children are capable, curious learners who thrive when given meaningful opportunities to engage with the real world. We believe that families are essential partners in every child's development. And we believe that the communities and institutions we are part of, including the Smithsonian itself, have a profound responsibility to nurture the youngest members of our society.
These convictions shape everything we do: how we design our classrooms, how we prepare our educators, how we plan our curriculum, and how we welcome every family through our doors.
They are also why SEEC operates as a demonstration school, a working model of museum-based early learning. Our classrooms serve the children in them first, and they serve the field as well: educators from across the country come to SEEC to study this approach in daily practice.
Our History
38 years in partnership with the Smithsonian.
SEEC was founded in 1988 in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, which had recognized a need among its own staff: high-quality care and learning for young children in a setting that reflected the Institution's commitment to education and discovery.
What began as a program for Smithsonian staff families grew into something far larger: a nationally recognized model for museum-based early childhood education. SEEC educators pioneered a pedagogy that treats the museum gallery as a primary learning environment, not a destination.
Over the decades, SEEC has expanded its reach through family workshop programs open to the broader community, and through an active educator professional development arm that brings SEEC's Smithsonian-rooted approach to early childhood classrooms across the country.
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1988
SEEC founded in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution
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1990s
Family Workshops program launched, opening SEEC's doors to the broader community
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2000s
Educator PD arm established; SEEC begins presenting at national conferences
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2010s
Smithsonian Early Explorers (SEE) and Summer at SEEC programs expanded
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Today
SEEC serves children, families, and educators across the country from classrooms inside the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History
What Guides Us
Our values in practice.
Direct Experience
Children learn by doing, touching, observing, and questioning, not by watching or listening alone. We design every part of the school day to maximize genuine engagement.
Respect for the Child
Every child is a capable, competent thinker. Our educators listen carefully, follow children's interests, and trust the learning that emerges from authentic curiosity.
Teacher as Researcher
SEEC educators are professionals who study their practice. They document children's learning, collaborate with colleagues, and continue their own development throughout their careers.
Family Partnership
Families are children's first and most important teachers. SEEC builds deep, ongoing relationships with the families it serves, not just communication, but genuine partnership.
Community Responsibility
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in partnership with a great public institution, SEEC holds a responsibility to the broader community through open workshops, educator training, and accessible programming.
Institutional Stewardship
SEEC's partnership with the Smithsonian Institution is a privilege. We honor it by treating the collections with care, deepening children's connection to them, and stewarding the trust that partnership represents.
Leadership & Faculty
The people behind the practice.
Our faculty.
Every SEEC classroom is led by a lead teacher who holds a bachelor's or master's degree, supported by associate teachers whose credentials range from the Child Development Associate (CDA) through master's degrees.
Because SEEC functions as a demonstration site, our faculty do more than teach children. They train other educators, welcoming visiting teachers and school leaders who come to see museum-based practice in the classrooms where it was developed.
Nonprofit Status
A 501(c)(3) organization.
SEEC is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution. Contributions to SEEC are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Our nonprofit status reflects our commitment to serving the public good, not just the families currently enrolled, but the broader early childhood community.
Support SEECGovernance
Board of Directors.
SEEC is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors of fourteen members who serve staggered three-year terms. The board includes SEEC parents alongside members with expertise in early childhood education, nonprofit management, law, and finance, and it works closely with an active Parents Association that gives every enrolled family a voice in the life of the school.
For inquiries regarding governance, please contact seecinfo@si.edu.
Meet SEEC in Person
The best way to understand SEEC is to see it.
Schedule a tour and experience what learning at the Smithsonian looks like.