Mr. John C. Ryan
STARS Founding Donor
STARS only exists thanks to extraordinarily generous funding from individuals, corporations and foundations. Mr. John C. Ryan, the founding donor of STARS, has been an SAO Advisory Board Member since 2015, and simultaneously served on the Smithsonian National Board. He was inspired to make this gift after hearing SAO Director Lisa Kewley describe STARS at a Board dinner.
“It all started when I was eight. I found a book that lit the fuse for my lifetime interest in astronomy. This small, full-color book was filled with images of fantastic celestial objects: Saturn with its rings, the giant Jupiter and its big red spot, and more. And I was hooked,” said Ryan. “Today, I have the opportunity to help launch SAO’s STARS Program. And like what happened for me, the program will generate curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and math for thousands of students in rural and tribal nation schools across the country. Curiosity pays off.”
“The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory has been a true gift to me. Without the leadership and scholarship of the organization, I would not have been presented with a personal opportunity to advance cosmic knowledge and bring astronomy to thousands of young students.”
Celestron™ has been an optics industry leader for decades, ever since Tom Johnson unveiled the game-changing C8. The company now continues his legacy by continually developing exciting products with revolutionary technologies.
Meanwhile, our friends at Celestron are making an in-kind donation to support the program's telescope kits.“We’re proud to donate a full suite of telescope accessories to the STARS program that will make observing under rural communities’ pristine dark skies a truly unforgettable experience,” said Corey Lee, CEO of Celestron. “This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to making astronomy accessible to everyone, everywhere. We can’t wait to see what these bright students in the STARS program accomplish as they explore the universe and embark on a lifetime of discovery.”
The Broh-Kahn Family
Additional early supporters include Jere Broh-Kahn, who has promised a significant bequest as a tribute to his late wife, Bonnie. The Broh-Kahns have been longtime supporters of Smithsonian education initiatives.
The STARS program has also received support from Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250, a Smithsonian-wide initiative commemorating the nation’s 250th. Signature support for Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250 has been provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.
STARS has also received early support from the Change Happens Foundation.
