Please ask the Arlington County School Board to approve $220,000 for a new Planetarium projector system at their meeting on January 20. The School Board needs to commit the funding now so that the equipment can be installed before the Planetarium is scheduled to re-open this fall. The Friends are asking the School Board to commit year-end funds to this critical purchase that will serve our students and community for years to come.

How to Contact the Arlington County School Board

You can

• email the entire board school.board@apsva.us, include your full name and e-mail address
• leave voice mail for the entire board: 703-228-6015, include your full name and a call-back number
• contact individual members

Things you might want to write or say

• State your relationship to APS and the Planetarium, for example
• • "My 4th grade daughter at Ashlawn really enjoyed her Planetarium field trips."
  • "I enjoy taking my grandson to weekend shows."
• Committing $220,000 now will cover most of the cost of a new projection system.
• The Science Program office needs to place an order by the end of January for installation to be complete before the 2022–2023 academic year.
• Beyond the $220,000, the Friends will assist financially with the purchase of a new projector, the associated peripherals, and updated programs.
• If you have contributed towards the Friends' projector fund, let them know you have donated towards this essential Planetarium component.
• The Planetarium serves about 25,000 students per school year with enriching science experiences that supplement their classroom experiences.
• The Planetarium gets students excited about astronomy and science, generally.
• The Planetarium provides an immersive science education experience for our students and opportunities for all community members to engage with science.
• The Planetarium is not just for astronomy. APS currently owns programs in earth science, meteorology life science, and history. Modern programs cover a wide range of topics across all disciplines.
• The Planetarium is not just for science education. Visual artists have custom-designed animations for projection on the dome and musicians have performed there.
• The current projector purchased in 2011 has reached end-of-life; the manufacturer will no longer provide a maintenance contract on it.
• All computer hardware and software systems need to be refreshed periodically as new technology comes available; the Planetarium projection system is no different.
• Tell them how much you are looking forward to the Planetarium re-opening in the fall, for example
• My daughter and I are looking forward excitedly to the Planetarium re-opening in the Fall.
• Because my grandson and I have missed attending the monthly Sky Talks, we cannot wait for the Fall re-opening.

What else can you do?

• Join the Friends of the Planetarium (or renew your membership) to remain informed about developments with the Planetarium and receive notices about upcoming events. You will also be able to participate in our annual meeting on January 22.
• Make a one-time contribution to the Friends so we can continue to assist APS financially with critical Planetarium infrastructure in preparation for re-opening.
• Provide continuing support to the Friends through the Combined Federal Campaign #39066 if you are a federal employee or Amazon Smile program if you order from that company. In addition to supporting the facility financially, the Friends also provide professional development Grants for Teachers, the David M. Brown Memorial Scholarship, and creative community science education programs.