ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP
The purpose of the Hamilton Planetarium Scholarship fund is to provide scholarships to students interested in gaining employment in the planetarium field as professionals. These scholarships are open to all United States citizens or legal residents attending accredited educational institutions in the United States or possessions.
The goal of the Fund is to increase professional preparation for those entering the planetarium field, thereby enhancing its status with the general public and increasing respect among all those working anywhere in astronomy.
The scholarship application is available on the Application Page. You also may contact us for a scholarship application to be emailed or snail mailed to you. The March 2011 issue of Planetarian, quarterly journal of the International Planetarium Society, Vol. 40 Number 1, page 24, has a lengthy article about the Fund.
Scholarships range in value from $500 to $5000, and may be renewed on an annual basis. Grantees also receive a free one-year membership in the International Planetarium Society (IPS) and their local regional planetarium association.
It is strongly advised that those wishing to enter the field professionally also refer to the course recommendations section.
ABOUT PLANETARIUMS
Those applying for this scholarship should know what a planetarium is, of course. For others (their guidance counselors, parents, and the public who have found their way to this site), a planetarium is a unique learning environment. Each planetarium is different in terms of equipment, size, location, and mission statement. What they all have in common is a domed projection ceiling* that provides an immersive environment.
The huge majority of planetariums also include education as part of their mission. Although initially teaching only about the night sky, technology has expanded this ability to a variety of science and related disciplines that benefit from an immersive environment.
Regardless of being located in a public school, a museum, a university, or as a stand-alone structure or a mobile dome, all planetariums act as gateways to wonder.
It takes unique and well-trained individuals to open these gateways.
*Most planetarium domes are hemispheres. There is at least one planetarium, located in Tartu, Estonia, that is a full sphere.
The Hamilton Planetarium Scholarship Fund fund was incorporated in the State of New York on October 15, 2010. The Internal Revenue Service recognizes the fund as a public charity entitled to tax exempt status under section 501c3 of the tax code as of May 19, 2011. New York State Registration Number 43-01-55.