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Office of Museum Programs

Since 1985 the Office of Museum Programs has conducted a Minority Awards Program which has provided partial funding for 50 individuals working in museums to attend a one-week Mid-Career Museum Practices Workshop. During a second week they visit selected Smithsonian staff, collections, and exhibition, documentation, and educational activities. In 1989 the Office of Museum Programs will conduct its second museum practices workshop for the African American Museums Association. Among other efforts, the Office of Museum Programs will be developing training in museum practices for the Smithsonian's own internal upward mobility program.

Office of Public Affairs

Over the last several years the Smithsonian's Office of Public Affairs has ensured that Afro-American programming at the Institution is presented as widely as possible in all forms of news releases, public service announcements for radio and television, advertising, and its major publications -- The Torch, Research Reports, the Monthly Calendar of Events, and the Smithsonian News Service. Public Affairs has also produced a program entitled "Explore Your Heritage," which includes an illustrated brochure, advertising, and a 30-second public service announcement for television featuring areas of the Smithsonian of particular interest to the Black community. In the future the Office of Public Affairs will continue these efforts and, funds permitting, will produce more advertisements for the print media.

Office of Telecommunications

The Smithsonian's Office of Telecommunications lists numerous radio and television projects which have been or are being developed on subjects of primary interest to Afro-American audiences during 1987 and 1988. These include five, three-minute features for television, in the series "Here at the Smithsonian," which as broadcast at prime time on over 180 stations nationwide; seventeen half-hour programs in the series "Radio Smithsonian" which is broadcast by 90 stations nationwide; and special projects, such as a seven-minute video presentation for the exhibition "Field to Factory" and a teleconference in connection with recent symposium "Afro-Americans and the Evolution of a Living Constitution." In addition, the Office of Telecommunications is working with the Committee for a Wider Audience and [[underline]] Smithsonian [[/underline]] Magazine to plan a series of radio public service announcements designed to increase awareness of Smithsonian programs among Blacks, is acting as production advisor to a multi-bureau effort to develop a videodisc educational program on the history of Black churches, and is working with WETA-FM to develop a new expanded radio series to succeed "Radio Smithsonian," placing more emphasis on world cultures and on live performances in the museums.

Resident Associate Program

With the intention of appealing to Afro-American audiences, over the last two years the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program has organized