Local Senior’s Mission to Save Planetarium in Cambria County

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A High School Senior's Mission to Save a Beloved Cambria County Planetarium

With a 1969 projector now dark, a Glendale student is leading the charge to bring the stars back to his community through a passionate fundraising campaign.

A piece of local history sits dormant at Glendale Junior/Senior High School, but one student is fighting to make it shine again.

For decades, the school’s planetarium offered a window to the cosmos for students in Cambria County.

Built in 1969, its projector system, once a source of wonder, is now inoperable, leaving the unique educational tool in a state of disrepair.

Now, a local senior’s mission to save the planetarium is gaining momentum across the community.

That student is Scott Beers, and he has a bold vision for the future.

He is spearheading a fundraising effort to raise between twelve and fifteen thousand dollars to help purchase a brand-new digital projection system.

Beers believes a modern system will do more than just show the stars; it will transform the learning experience for everyone at the school.

“This will allow it to not only teach astronomy lessons, but it will also help to teach geography lessons,” Beers explained, noting it could even be used for biology and anatomy.

The total cost for the high-definition system is around thirty thousand dollars.

The passion for the project is deeply personal for some educators, like Ethan Maneval, Chair of Glendale’s Science Department.

As a former student, Maneval recalls his own eighth-grade earth science class in that very planetarium as an influential part of his journey to becoming a teacher.

He described the experience as a “more immersive learning environment” that completely surrounds you in the subject matter.

It’s a powerful tool many feel is worth every dollar to restore.

The community fundraising campaign, supported by the Glendale Education Foundation, will help ensure future generations of students can create their own memories under the digital stars.

Donors who contribute twenty dollars or more will have their names featured on a special recognition wall, becoming a permanent part of the planetarium's next chapter.