The Marie Drake Planetarium

Where the stars always shine in Juneau, AK

Grants

In 2019, our fundraising success went into 'warp drive".  We were awarded three grants totaling $60,000 and raised over $19,000 from businesses and individual donations and fundraising events. 

These funds were added to funds raised in prior years and In December 2019, we purchased a Digitarium Lambda System.

December 2019

We were awarded a $25,000 grant from Coeur Alaska - Kensington Mine. This enabled us to complete phase three of our three part fundraising plan.


Rosemary Walling stands next to the new digital projector at Marie Drake Planetarium in this Dec. 22, 2019  Photo by Steve Kocsis.



Image from Crello.com

October, 2019 We were awarded a matching grant of $10,000 from  the Juneau Community Foundation's Blackwell Fund.  In a month, we matched this grant. Three board members had opportunity to visit Matt Blackwell who is the son of the late Mike Blackwell. Matt works at the Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences. 


The Blackwell Fund continues the legacy of Juneau philanthropist Mike Blackwell. His two sons, Matthew and Andrew, told us they are “really excited about this project. It fits very well with our father’s legacy and I think he would enjoy it”.

Douglas-Dornan Foundation via the Juneau Community Foundation.


2020

We were awarded $1,000 for busing school groups to the planetarium.


2012

We were awarded a matching grant of $2,000 for a new digital projector.  Matching funds raised in 2013. 


2018 - awarded $2,000

2012 - $500 for a laptop 


In March, 2020 we were awarded $500 grant from Alaska USA’s Community Support Fund.

2015 - Awarded $500

PPA Mini Grant Award

In August, 2021 we received a $500 Mini Grant from the Pacific Planetarium Association (PPA) . We were one of three planetariums selected. Our grant is to purchase a 360 degree camera. 
We were awarded a grant to attend a climate change workshop hosted by Seattle's Pacific Science Center. Two board members learned how to share climate science in a planetarium setting. 

Workshop attendees - A great group of people who are

passionate about teaching astronomy