Jeff Bezos, founder and executive chair of Amazon, and founder of aerospace and space flight company Blue Origin is making a $200 million donation to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Bezos’ gift is the largest given to the Smithsonian since its founding by James Smithson in 1846, according to a release from the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian announced Wednesday that It plans to use a $70 million portion of the donation toward the renovation of the National Air and Space Museum and $130 million to launch a new education center at the museum.
The education center will be named the Bezos Learning Center in honor of the donation given by Bezos, who is the founder and executive chair of Amazon, and founder of aerospace and space flight company Blue Origin.
The education center will be housed in a new facility to be constructed on the east side of the museum’s plaza at its flagship location on the National Mall.
According to the release, It will feature programs and activities that inspire students to pursue innovation and explore careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) fields, and it will help teachers better utilize the Smithsonian’s collections.
“Since its inception, the Smithsonian has benefited from both federal funding and the generosity of visionary donors,” said Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch. “Almost 175 years ago, Mr. Smithson’s inaugural gift laid the groundwork for this innovative approach, bringing together private philanthropy and public funding. Today, as we emerge from a pivotal moment in history, Jeff’s donation builds on that original tradition and will help us reimagine and transform the Smithsonian. This historic gift will help the Smithsonian achieve its goal of reaching every classroom in America by creating a world-class learning center with access and inspiration at its heart. We are grateful to Jeff for his generosity and for his passion and commitment to education, innovation and technology. This donation will fuel our nation’s future leaders and innovators.”
“The Smithsonian plays a vital role in igniting the imaginations of our future builders and dreamers,” Bezos said. “Every child is born with great potential, and it’s inspiration that unlocks that potential. My love affair with science, invention and space did that for me, and I hope this gift does that for others.”
Bezos has a long history of supporting the Smithsonian. He was a founding donor to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and has contributed to the National Air and Space Museum. Bezos was honored during the National Portrait Gallery’s 2019 American Portrait Gala with the Portrait of a Nation Prize and was awarded a Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for Technology in 2016. His portrait was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery in 2017. He was also a featured speaker at the National Air and Space Museum for the 2016 John H. Glenn Lecture in Space History.
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