Dear Friend,

Over the course of nearly thirty years, McDonald Observatory has made science education and outreach a mainstay of our mission.

Because the talented astronomers with The University of Texas McDonald Observatory and the Department of Astronomy regularly secure research grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation, in the past we have had the opportunity to apply for supplemental education and outreach awards connected with their research. These agencies provided both initial funding for StarDate and Universo radio programs, and their supplements for education and outreach have continued to help fund them in part , along with many of our professional development teacher workshops and student programs.

In 2007 and 2008, during the time NASA was reassessing their supplemental grant opportunities for education and public outreach funding, they temporarily discontinued offering opportunities to apply for these supplement grants. Additionally, many private foundations are not funding new projects at this time.

In order to help bridge the funding gaps that these recent challenges have created, I invite you to make a special contribution to the McDonald Observatory Annual Fund at this time.

Your tax-deductible gift will help us sustain the many education and outreach programs that have made McDonald Observatory such an important resource to thousands of teachers and students nationwide.

You will help continued programming of the StarDate and Universo radio programs, broadcast to millions of listeners worldwide each day. During this year, in particular, Universo celebrates its 5,000th program release — a feat that can only be attributed to your ongoing support of our work.

This year, too, McDonald Observatory and the international astronomy community are celebrating the 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA). For this celebration in particular, the Observatory is hosting a number of special events and educational programs that are engaging teachers, students, and the general public with space science.

Therefore, any extra amount that you can find in your budget to support McDonald Observatory’s mission to bolster K–12 science education is appreciated. More than that, it will make a difference for the teachers and students we serve. Thank you, as always, for your kind and generous support.

Sincerely,

David L. Lambert
Director
Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy