WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian Institution has received $50 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support three new programs: $30 million for broadening access to the Institution through a Youth Access Endowment, $10 million for the four consortia identified in the Smithsonian’s Strategic Plan and $10 million in fall 2009 for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The $30 million endowment gift will support programs for children in grades K-12 now and in the future. The youth access initiative will enable Smithsonian museums and research centers to use their vast resources and expertise to reach underserved students in school districts around the country. The Smithsonian will build on existing programs that use interactive websites, online conferences, distance learning and games to reach new audiences in innovative ways. Last year, interactive online conferences on Abraham Linc