The Smithsonian American Art Museum offers Girl Scout programs that meet requirements for Junior Girl Scout badges and Cadette interest project awards. Senior Scouts are invited to contact the Education Department directly with their proposals.
Girl Scout programs are offered October through May, last approximately 45 minutes, and are available free of charge. Reservations are accepted based on docent availability.
We are not currently offering in-person scout tours, but we welcome your scouts for interactive virtual Girl Scout programs which meet requirements for Junior Girl Scout badges and Cadette interest project awards.
Scouts who complete any museum activity will receive a Smithsonian American Art Museum patch.
To schedule a program or to learn more, e-mail AmericanArtMuseumTours@si.edu
Junior Girl Scout Programs
Jeweler Badge (available virtually)
This museum visit, with completion of recommended activities, fulfills two requirements.
Before museum visit, Scouts will:
- Review a list of related artworks to be included in Scout program
- View and discuss online video about appropriate museum etiquette
- Watch a video of jewelry artist Joyce Scott discussing her craft
- Bring sketch books
- Agree to actively participate in a 45 minute visit
The docent will introduce Scouts to the artist-made jewelry and the miniatures collection in open storage in the Luce Foundation Center for American Art, as well as artworks that include depictions of jewelry. Skills and materials, meanings, symbolism, and influences will be discussed. Scouts will sketch jewelry.
Recommended Post-Visit Activities:
Scouts create their own jewelry, keeping in mind what they learned on their tour and/or investigate individual birthstones. Search online for "jewelry making video" instructions.
My Heritage (History) (available virtually)
This museum visit, with completion of recommended activities, fulfills one requirement.
Before museum visit, Scouts will:
- Review a list of related artworks to be included in museum tour
- View one or more artist videos discussing culture or heritage
- Scouts reflect upon their heritages, and gather information about their cultural backgrounds
- Agree to actively participate in a 45-minute visit
Recommended Post-Visit Activities:
Each Scout searches the museum's website for an artwork that reflects her heritage, shares the image with the troop and presents a toy, game or song reflective of that artwork. Scouts consider the accomplishments of artists or people depicted in art discovered on the museum tour. Each Scout describes a goal that she would like to achieve and writes a plan or timeline to accomplish that goal.
Architecture (currently unavailable)
This museum visit fulfills four requirements.
Before museum visit, Scouts will:
- Learn about the history of the Patent Office Building
- Bring a straight edge, graph paper, and sketching paper to museum
- Agree to actively participate in a 45-minute museum visit
- Complete a sketching and scale drawing activity with the troop leader
Recommended Post-Visit Activities:
Scouts create a scale-drawing of a museum gallery or the Kogod Courtyard. In the Kogod Courtyard, Scouts discuss and design their own garden using the Courtyard as inspiration.