Naomi Coquillon

Naomi Coquillon is a distinguished education specialist who serves as the Manager of Youth and Teacher Programs at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, where she has revolutionized museum-based education through innovative programs and digital initiatives. Her work includes spearheading the A. James Clark Excellence in History Teaching Program, which has trained over eight thousand teachers across thirteen states through the Let's Do History Tour and Teach It Forward Institutes. She leads the museum's annual National Youth Summit, connecting students nationwide with scholars, activists, and experts to explore crucial historical topics and their contemporary relevance. Through her leadership of the Smithsonian's History Explorer website team, she has helped create hundreds of free, standards-based educational resources, including artifacts, interactives, and lesson plans for K-12 educators. Her academic background includes Masters degrees in history from the University of Maryland, College Park and museum education from Bank Street College of Education, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature from Harvard College. Before joining the Smithsonian, she brought valuable experience as both a classroom teacher and as Director for Educational Resources at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, where she developed her expertise in connecting students with historical artifacts and narratives.