As the Arlington Public Schools begin today, the Friends of Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium wish all the students and teachers an inspiring academic year full of learning and personal growth. We are excited that children are donning backpacks, boarding buses, and returning to their classrooms. We are grateful for the teachers who supported students through last year’s transition back to in-person instruction. Our thoughts are with you as you begin a new year and new scholarly pursuits.

With Mary Clendenning as the new Planetarium specialist, the David M. Brown Planetarium should re-open this fall. APS and the Friends are eagerly awaiting the final installation of a state-of-the-art projection system that will continue to bring our students cutting-edge science for years to come. APS students will once again engage with science under the dome as well as in their classrooms. Strong community support has ensured the timely re-opening of this enriching facility.

In addition to supporting the Planetarium projection system financially and assisting with re-opening costs, the Friends will sponsor Grants for Teachers and the David M. Brown Memorial Scholarship. Most importantly, we will once again host our community for astronomy and science special events at the Planetarium while also continuing our successful virtual programming. Please join us in making this a great year for STEM education.

Happy #firstdayofschool! #APSisAwesome