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Our Vision
Shaping the future by preserving our heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world
Our Values
Discovery: Explore and bring to light new knowledge and ideas, and better ways of doing business
Creativity: Instill our work with imagination and innovation
Excellence: Deliver the highest-quality products and services in all endeavors
Diversity: Capitalize on the richness inherent in differences
Integrity: Carry out all our work with the greatest responsibility and accountability
Service: Be of benefit to the public and our stakeholders
Our Priorities
Focusing on Grand Challenges: Four challenges provide an overarching strategic framework for Smithsonian programs and operations.
- Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe
- Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet
- Valuing World Cultures
- Understanding the American Experience
Broadening Access: Digitizing our collections, exploring next-generation technologies, and improving the visitor experience
Revitalizing Education: Serve as a laboratory to create models and methods of innovative informal education that link to the formal education system
Crossing Boundaries: Interdisciplinary consortia spark innovative research and educational programs around each of the four grand challenges
Strengthening Collections: Develop collections plan to support Institution-wide initiatives
Organizational Excellence: Strengthen organizational services that allow us to deliver on our mission
Measuring Performance: Establish performance indicators that will specifically and annually measure progress toward our goals
Four Grand Challenges
Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe
We will continue to lead in the quest to understand the fundamental nature of the cosmos, using next-generation technologies to explore our own solar system, meteorites, the Earth's geological past and present, and the paleontological record of our planet.
We will use our resources across scientific museums and centers
to significantly advance our knowledge and understanding of life on Earth,
respond to the growing threat of environmental change, and sustain human well-being.
As a steward and ambassador of cultural connections, with a presence in some 100 countries and expertise and collections that encompass the globe, we will build bridges of mutual respect, and present the diversity of world cultures and the joy of creativity with accuracy, insight, and reverence.
America is an increasingly diverse society that shares a history, ideals, and an indomitable, innovative spirit. We will use our resources across disciplines to explore what it means to be an American and how the disparate experiences of individual groups strengthen the whole, and to share our story with people of all nations.
