Evanston Township High School will host a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to showcase its newly renovated planetarium, which features leading digital technology, an Imax theater-like environment and interactive learning opportunities. The ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. Oct. 15 in the school’s east courtyard.
Originally built in 1968, the structure was one of the first planetariums in the country to be built on a high school campus. In support of District 202’s capital improvements plan, the ETHS Educational Foundation raised more than $700,000 to fund the renovation, including a gift of $500,000 from ETHS alumnus Leonard Schaeffer.
ETHS is one of a handful of schools in the country to have a fully functioning planetarium. The planetarium can be used by all ETHS academic departments to provide teaching and learning opportunities at ETHS, as well as other Evanston school children and youth groups. Beyond astronomy, astrophysics and geophysics classes, ETHS will also explore collaborative projects with Northwestern University that will help maximize resources available to students.