Admissions & Enrollment
Begin your family's Smithsonian journey.
SEEC enrolls children from 8 weeks to 5 years in classrooms inside the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History. Here is how admission works, from first inquiry to first day.
The Enrollment Path
Five steps, at your own pace.
Some steps are flexible and can happen in the order that works best for your family. For the full walkthrough, visit the Full-Time School page.
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Inquire
Email our enrollment team with your questions about programs, availability, and fit. We respond within two business days.
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Receive an information packet
We send detailed information about our programs, daily schedules, and the Smithsonian museum-based curriculum, so you can review everything at your own pace.
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Tour, attend an open house, and apply
These three can happen in any order. You are welcome to submit your application at any point, including before touring.
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Confirm your space
Once your application is accepted, a registration fee and an enrollment deposit officially hold your child's spot. A welcome packet with enrollment forms follows.
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Welcome and orientation
Before the first day, we schedule a family orientation and a transition visit so your child can meet their teachers and begin to feel at home in their museum classroom.
Key Dates
The admissions calendar.
The lottery for 2026–27 has passed, and applications are now reviewed on a rolling basis as space becomes available. Here is what to keep on your calendar.
2026–27 school year (current)
Spots available now; applications reviewed on a rolling basis
Lottery entries close for 2027–28
April 1, 2027
After the lottery
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis as space becomes available
Applications are submitted through our secure Etix portal.
Priority and the Lottery
How spaces are offered.
SEEC serves Smithsonian-employed families first. When you apply, your application joins one of three lists based on employment status: Smithsonian employees, federal employees, and the general public.
Applications received by April 1 are entered into the annual enrollment lottery, through which children are selected by random number for the coming school year. Families not selected are placed on the waiting list for the remainder of the year, and applications received after the deadline are reviewed on a rolling basis as space becomes available.
Siblings of currently enrolled SEEC children of Smithsonian employees receive priority status at the time of application. If no opening is immediately available, siblings are placed on a separate sibling waiting list.
Every application includes a nonrefundable, sliding-scale application fee based on family income. Once a space is offered, families confirm it with a registration fee and an enrollment deposit. The full answers, straight from the family manual, live in the FAQ on our Full-Time School page.
Expecting?
Many families apply before their child is born; infant spaces are the most requested, and we encourage touring during pregnancy.
Wondering what it costs? Tuition is discussed on tours, and support is real: financial aid, a sliding-scale application fee, and military benefits. See Tuition, Financial Aid & Military Benefits.
Admissions Events
Meet us in person.
Open house dates are announced each fall. Email us at seecinfo@si.edu to be notified.
Admissions FAQ
Common questions, answered.
A few of the questions prospective families ask most. The full list lives on our Full-Time School page.
SEEC serves children from eight weeks old through five years. Infants learn in the Cottontails and Ducklings groups of eight, young toddlers in the Toucans and Dragonflies groups of nine, and from age two children move into mixed-age preschool classrooms, growing with the program until they leave for kindergarten.
Yes. Siblings of currently enrolled SEEC children of Smithsonian employees receive priority status at the time of application. If no opening is immediately available, siblings are placed on a separate Sibling Waiting List.
Yes. Financial aid is available for qualifying families. SEEC also accepts Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) for eligible military families. Email seecinfo@si.edu to learn about eligibility and the application process.
Have a question we didn't cover? Email seecinfo@si.edu and we'll respond within two business days.
Ready When You Are