JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Friends of the Planetarium, Junior League of Jackson and the Community Foundation of Mississippi will hold a recognition event on Tuesday, March 1 at 2 p.m.
They will announce two major leadership gifts to the Jackson Planetarium Renovation Project. The facility, first opened in 1979, is the only public planetarium in the State of Mississippi.
On Tuesday, The Friends of the Planetarium will be presented with checks from both The Junior League of Jackson and the Community Foundation of Mississippi.
“The Friends of the Planetarium group and its supporters have been instrumental in the development of this project, whose core commitment is delivering on our educational mission directive to students of the state of Mississippi, the City of Jackson and her visitors,” said Planetarium director, Mike Williams. “Mississippi struggles to produce technology graduates at a rate that keeps up with the number of available STEM jobs in our great state. Mississippi aerospace and technology industries have created jobs that can start at around $70K a year, but those jobs have been difficult to fill with homegrown talent. The new planetarium will use its broad and unique platform to expand access to these opportunities in STEM, and to illuminate the path to these high-paying jobs for all Mississippians. And it’s also going to be extremely cool.”
A full reimagining of the planetarium is underway with a total redesign of every space and a grand new atrium addition to tie it all together.