Dearborn students recruited as national teen advisors to Smithsonian Institution

It’s not often that local teens have a chance to give input to a prestigious national museum, but two girls from Dearborn schools will be able to add that to their future resumes. Malak Wazne, a senior at Dearborn High School and Fatima Abu-Omarah, a junior at Fordson High School, will lend their advice to Smithsonian Institution Secretary David J. Skorton as members of his Youth Advisory Council in Washington, D.C. 

Wazne and Abu-Omarah are among 25 high school juniors and seniors who will advise Skorton during a quarterly meeting on topics such as technology in museums, how museums could address societal conflicts and be catalysts for dialogue and how the Smithsonian might accomplish its goal of reaching one billion visitors. 

As young Arab Americans, the two girls also will lend that perspective to the national dialogue. The Arab American National Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, recruited the two teens for the advisory roles. “I’m very pleased to expand the opportunity to include teens nationally through our Smithsonian Affiliations program,” Skorton said. “I look forward to connecting with our teens and gaining a wide variety of perspectives.” 

Skorton established the Youth Advisory Council in 2016 to gain advice and insight on youth perception of the Smithsonian from students in Washington, D.C. The second group expands on the original work and includes students from the Smithsonian Affiliate network, providing a national perspective to the conversation by attending virtually. 

The Smithsonian held the first meeting of the 2017 council Sept. 27 at the Smithsonian Castle in Washington. “AANM is honored to help bring the thoughts and perspectives of young Arab Americans to the Smithsonian Secretary’s Youth Advisory Council,” AANM Director Devon Akmon said. 

“AANM, and our colleagues at ACCESS, are committed to building leadership skills among young Arab Americans. We hope initiatives like this will inspire young people to become more civically engaged and to consider exploring careers in the museum field.” 

The 2017–’18 council includes 15 teens from the Washington metropolitan area. Ten teens recruited directly from five Smithsonian Affiliates will provide a national perspective; the Affiliates are the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn.; the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in Fort Worth, Texas; the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Museum in Cincinnati; the Rockwell Museum in Corning, N.Y.; and the Upcountry History Museum in Greenville, S.C. 

“Taking the Smithsonian beyond the National Mall is critical to our mission,” said Myriam Springuel, interim director of Smithsonian Affiliations. “The five affiliate partners in the council’s second cohort are incredibly strong advocates for their own local youth programs.” 

By Andrea Blum