Understanding the Role and Function of the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS)-The Smithsonian
About the Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution (SI) was founded by James Smithson in 1846. It is one of the world’s greatest museums, educational, and research institutions composed of the National zoo, museums, art galleries, and research departments. It aims to preserve heritage, discover new knowledge, and share it with the world (“About the Smithsonian,” n.d.). The purpose of the institution is to increase the diffusion of knowledge. Subsequently, the vision is to inspire and engage more people globally and start conversations on critical issues affecting the world.
Smithsonian Clients
Smithsonian clients are from different backgrounds and races. They include visitors to SI museums, members of SI programs, and online users of SI resources. SI offers rich and impactful experiences for each of its clients. It explores the clients’ characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, entrance narrative, behavior, and experience. Additionally, it launched the “Race, Community and Our Shared Future” initiative to explore how experiences by different American groups understand their impact on the community and future of the nation (“Smithsonian Announces “Race, Community and Our Shared Future” Initiative,” 2020).
Responsibilities of the Smithsonian Staff
The Smithsonian’s main job is to preserve and present the record of the living, man, and the environment. Therefore, the work of the staff is to preserve collections. Furthermore, other key responsibilities of the Smithsonian professional staff include supervising the publication of research findings. Two, updating their literature in their respective areas. Three conducting research. Finally, sorting, identification, and classification of acquisitions (Oehser et al., 1983).
Education and Training
The Office of Educational Technology (OET) at the Smithsonian is a learning lab where people can discover, create, and share knowledge and new ideas. It offers teaching materials, specimens, artifacts, artworks, and recordings. In addition, it collaborates with schools, universities, libraries, and educational organizations so that learners are engaged in formal projects and training.
Funds and Finances
The Smithsonian is both a governmental and private institution. Thus, it derives its funds from governmental and nongovernmental sources. It gets its financial support from the Congress of the United States and private donations. Donors provide support through a variety of membership programs. Since the Smithsonian is partly governmental, the legal body that is ultimately responsible for what it does is the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a non-partisan Congress agency.
Conclusion
The Smithsonian Institution is one of the largest museums, educational, and research centers and aims to increase and diffuse knowledge. It has established a learning lab where people can learn, carry out research, and share their knowledge. Therefore, it proves to be significant in society by sharing its knowledge, the power of art, and the value of different cultures for the betterment of life.
References
About the Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 13 December 2021, from https://www.si.edu/about.
Oehser, P., Heskett, L., & Dillon Ripley, S. (1983). The Smithsonian Institution (2nd ed.).
Smithsonian Announces “Race, Community and Our Shared Future” Initiative. Smithsonian Institution. (2020). Retrieved 13 December 2021, from https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-announces-race-community-and-our-shared-future-initiative.
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Question
Approximately 500 words describing the agency (or program within the agency), including a discussion of:
What the agency (or program) does.
What its clients are like (e.g., age, race, problems, etc.)
What do professional staff in the agency do?
The education and training of the staff.
Where the agency (or program) gets its funds.
What legal body is ultimately responsible for what the agency does?