To commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Smithsonian Science Education Center today released a new free eBook, Stories of Women in STEAM Innovation: Celebrating America’s 250th. The eBook highlights the extraordinary contributions of American women whose ideas, discoveries and leadership have shaped—and continue to shape—American history through science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM).
Designed for youth ages 11-18 (grades 6-12), the eBook features 21 American women innovators, past and present, whose work embodies the spirit of excellence, perseverance and ingenuity that have enriched America’s weighty history and influential legacy. These biographies include contributions from Smithsonian experts such as Dr. Sanchita Balachandran, director of the Museum Conservation Institute, whose story opens the book, and Smithsonian scientist Mary Hagedorn, whose work is also featured.
The eBook is accompanied by over 95 images and more than 100 artifacts selected from 14 Smithsonian museums and research centers, offering tangible connections to the stories presented. Highlights include:
- A Mary Cassatt photograph from the Archives of American Art and her self‑portrait from the National Portrait Gallery
- Maria Martinez pottery from the National Museum of the American Indian
- A Gilbreth stopwatch used in early motion‑study engineering, among others.
Together, these stories and artifacts illuminate the enduring impact of women in STEAM and reinforce the importance of amplifying and learning from the stories of trailblazing innovators who helped shape the country.
The eBook is available as a free PDF download on the Smithsonian website and accessible through Kindle and Apple Books. Download it at: https://ssec.si.edu/women-in-steam-innovation. Looking ahead to America’s next 250 years, these stories inspire curiosity and build momentum for what the country will achieve in years to come.
“As students read these stories, we hope they will be inspired by the outstanding accomplishments of these trailblazers and walk away curious to explore the deeper impact and histories of women in STEAM throughout America’s 250-year history,” said Carol O’Donnell, the Douglas M. Lapp and Anne B. Keiser Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center.
About the Smithsonian Science Education Center
The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution that is Transforming K–12 Education Through Science in collaboration with communities across the globe. The Smithsonian Science Education Center is nationally and internationally recognized for the quality of its programs and its impact on K–12 science education.
Visit the Smithsonian Science Education Center’s website to learn more. Connect with the Smithsonian Science Education Center on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.