Telescopes for Kids

When I got my first telescope, it was a life-changing experience. Science was no longer a thing you learned at school or read about; it was something you did yourself. My first telescope made me a life-long learner, set the course for my career in science education, and provided me with a passion for the night sky and our natural environment. I wish every kid could have a telescope, but they are often beyond the means of many families.

The Winnipeg Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is raising funds to provide beginner telescopes to young people so they can discover the night sky on their own.

Applicants to the program tell us what they would do with a telescope through a letter, video, drawing, song, or whatever other media they choose. Entries are judged by Winnipeg Centre members, and the winners are awarded one of the telescopes. The number of kids whose dreams we can make come true depends on the funds raised.

Deadline for applications is Friday, January 26, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Telescopes will be delivered to the winning entries in the following week.