For Immediate Release, April 28, 2010
Contact: Lauren Sucher, 202/429-3822 or lsucher@usip.org

(Washington) - Working with schools in the U.S. has always been part of the mandate of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), and as the organization prepares to move into its new permanent headquarters space it has appointed David J. Smith to the newly created position of National Educational Outreach Officer.

Smith joined USIP in 2005 as a senior program officer tasked with developing educational strategies for secondary and higher education audiences, and bringing educators together for conferences and workshops. He has traveled around the country to work with high school, community college and university faculty members as well as hosting workshops and seminars in Washington, D.C. helping educators integrate conflict resolution skills and peace education into their existing curricula. He has visited 24 states, spoken at 72 academic institutions, and worked with over 120 colleges and universities on building capacity for teaching about peace.

Pamela Aall, USIP vice president for domestic education said, "We are pleased that so many educational institutions want to make use of the curricula and other peace education materials that USIP develops. While we continue to create such resources, David will be helping to fill the increasing demand for them by getting them into more and more classrooms."

Smith’s workload has evolved such, and USIP so highly values domestic education work, that he now coordinates multiple forms of education outreach across the entire Institute. In addition to his own travel to schools, community colleges and universities as he has done, Smith leverages his contacts around the country and his colleagues at USIP in Washington, D.C. so that more of the Institute’s work can benefit more students in the U.S. In the past three months, for example, Smith has tallied some 101 instances of USIP staff speaking around the country or in Washington, D.C. to nearly 4000 members of the public and high school, community college and university students and faculty.

Tara Sonenshine, executive vice president of USIP, said, "Given the Institute’s upcoming move to a new headquarters near the National Mall, our outreach to students and teachers will only grow. David will help us achieve greater outreach."

Smith has taught legal studies, peace and conflict resolution studies in a variety of settings including at Goucher College, Harford Community College, and the University of Tartu in Tartu, Estonia as a Fulbright Scholar. He holds a B.A from American University, an M.S. from George Mason University and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law. His full biography is viewable online.