Howtosmile.org celebrates its 4th anniversary this month! Launched in 2010 at the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) annual conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, SMILE has grown to nearly 4,000 STEM activities from more than 150 source institutions, in 28 languages. The free Howtosmile.org iPhone app gives users immediate access to SMILE activities any time, anywhere.
Howtosmile.org has been honored as an ALA Great Website for Kids, AASL Best Website for Teaching and Learning, and Homeschool.com top educational website. Initially funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), SMILE has been a broad collaborative effort from its inception. Founding partners included Children's Museum of Houston, Exploratorium, New York Hall of Science, Science Museum of Minnesota, Lawrence Hall of Science, ASTC and the National Science Digital Library.
Additional funding from The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation and Oracle has supported recent development of SMILE topic sections, highlighting activity connections to standards and principles in mathematics, ocean literacy, chemistry, climate, energy, life sciences, cooking, astronomy, and linked to PBS shows.
To promote hundreds of STEM activities that get learners moving, Howtosmile.org has partnered with the Let's Move! Museums & Gardens initiative of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.
SMILE activities have been pinned thousands of times on Pinterest boards, and SMILE has its own Pinterest board, Awesome Activities from Howtosmile.org. Howtosmile.org activities have been linked to fun science Q&A from public radio's Loh Down on Science program, and featured in parenting publication articles about "pirate science" and sun science.
Children's literature connections to SMILE activities have been shared at national and state library and reading conferences, including the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) National Institute.(Photo: Project directors Darrell Porcello and Sherry Hsi were all smiles at their first NSDL conference after SMILE was funded.)