Smithsonian Youth STEM Exchange

Smithsonian Science Education Center’s Smithsonian Youth STEM Exchange connects American and Iraqi youth for collaboration on projects that address environmental justice and biodiversity issues. Trained educators use the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals’ Environmental Justice! and Biodiversity! guides to give participants a framework for working with their international peers toward science-focused solutions for a more sustainable world. In partnership with the Iraq Space Center in Baghdad, Iraq, and the Arab-American Museum in Michigan, United States, this virtual exchange contributes to a global network of young people and educators dedicated to taking action on the biggest global issues of our time, like those found in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

By participating in this program, students will join a global network of young people and educators dedicated to taking action on the biggest global issues of our time, like those found in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As part of this program, the Smithsonian will provide all materials in both Arabic and English and offer Arabic translations during live sessions. 

In 2024, the Smithsonian Science Education Center, in collaboration with the Iraq Space Center in Baghdad, Iraq, and the Arab-American Museum in Michigan, United States, brought together students in classrooms across the globe to participate in the project’s Capstone Showcase, issues of sustainability, culture, science, and shared understanding using the Smithsonian Science Education Center's Smithsonian Science for Global Goals free community research guides.  

Smithsonian Youth STEM Exchange is implemented by the Smithsonian Science Education Center and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.