Missed One Ball State Day? You can still make an impact.

Charles W. Brown Planetarium

Together, we can make an impact.

image of the exterior of the planetarium, dome building, flowers in foreground

Your contribution to the planetarium directly impacts Ball State students and the Muncie community.

Your contribution supports initiatives such as...

funds student staff!

enhances events with new technologies and immersive programs!

expands our hands-on activity stations and telescope observing opportunities!

encourages scientific literacy and advancement!

Ball State students contribute to all planetarium events.

student workers at the control panel of the planetarium, buttons and sliders visible

The Brown Planetarium is part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and students from this department and others work in the planetarium. They love sharing their knowledge and passion for the universe with others.

Who visits?

student worker presenting in front of a full planetarium with the pleiades star cluster overhead on the dome Over 22,000 people enjoy the planetarium each year and we see over 9,000 school kids who come during field trips! All public planetarium events are free and open to all, with nearby parking for public programs.

Our namesake.

Charlie Brown and wife Louise Tetrick standing by a large 10 outside the planetairum

Charles W. Brown (R) and his wife Dr. Louise Tetrick at the 10 Year Anniversary Celebration of the Planetarium in November 2024.

The Charles W. Brown Planetarium is named for businessman and philanthropist Charlie Brown, BA '71, whose passion for science was rekindled by the planetarium project. Mr. Brown and his wife, Dr. Louise Tetrick, hope the planetarium provides an incredible resource for the community, especially youth, as well as university students. Their goal is to make a difference in kids’ lives, as they believe that is where we can all be the most impactful.

We are continuously inspired and humbled by those who continue to give to support the planetarium; including gifts to the James and Nancy Watson Planetarium Science Education Fund. This fund was set up by the late Nancy Watson to support the science educational outreach mission of the planetarium to K-12 children.

Join those who have given to the planetarium today!

student worker presenting in front of a full planetarium with the Earth's magnetosphere overhead on the dome

Stay connected with the Brown Planetarium on Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube!

Share on social with #OneBallState

Success!

Early Bird Challenge

Fund supported from this challenge: -Sports Link -Theatre General -Women's Swim Dive -TEACH Lab Brodrick Good, First Student Bill Jenkins, First Employee Jeff & Jen Fecher, First Parents Penny Craig, First Alumni

Completed

Leaderboard

Morning Leaderboard Challenge

The three areas with the most donors by 10 a.m. will receive $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 in challenge funds.

Rank	Prize	Units, Funds, & Programs	Donors
1	$3,000	Theatre & Dance	123
2	$2,000	Indiana Academy	87
3	$1,000	Ball State Fund	69
4		Soccer	49
5		Communication Studies	40
6		Accounting	39
7		Name a Goose	34
8		Men's Tennis	31
9		Scholarships	30
10		Field Hockey	30
11		Football	26
12		School of Music	21
13		Student Emergency Aid Fund	20
14		Gymnastics	20
15		Burris Laboratory School	19

Ended

Success!

Morning Giveaway Challenge

Men's Swimming and Diving: Jason Revere Sports Link: Peter Loomis Ball State University Police Department: Jennifer Triplett Geography & Meterology: Selma Seeman Communication Studies: Susan Wilson

Completed

Success!

Ball State Employee Challenge

Congrats to Serena Shim with a gift to Educational Psychology!

Completed

Leaderboard

Brunch Leaderboard

The five areas that raise the most money from 10 a.m. - Noon will each receive $1,000 in challenge funds.

Rank	Prize	Department	Raised
1	$1,000	Theatre & Dance	$10,401.75
2	$1,000	Football	$8,045.00
3	$1,000	Men's Tennis	$8,035.00
4	$1,000	Men's Golf	$7,950.00
5	$1,000	Indiana Academy	$7,450.00
6		Charles W. Brown Planetarium	$5,050.00
7		Ball State Fund	$3,480.08
8		Communication Studies	$3,248.36
9		Cardinal Excellence Fund	$3,205.00
10		Women's Basketball	$2,525.00
11		Alumni Programs	$2,445.00
12		Soccer	$2,420.00
13		Accounting	$2,345.00
14		Burris Laboratory School	$1,875.00
15		Scholarships	$1,850.00

Ended

Leaderboard

5pm Donor Leaderboard

The four units with the most donors by 5 p.m. will each receive $500.

Rank	Prize	Unit	Donors
1	$500	Theatre & Dance	309
2	$500	Indiana Academy	207
3	$500	Ball State Fund	136
4	$500	Communication Studies	126
5		Soccer	124
6		Accounting	101
7		Football	86
8		School of Music	85
9		Field Hockey	84
10		Gymnastics	77
11		Men's Tennis	70
12		Burris Laboratory School	59
13		Cardinal Excellence Fund	58
14		Student Emergency Aid Fund	55
15		Softball	53

Ended

Success!

Young Alumni Giving Challenge

When ten young alumni give by Noon, YAC President Giang Petroviak, will donate $200 to the Young Alumni Council Student Leadership Scholarship fund.

Completed

Success!

Selfie Challenge

Online Student Support Fund - Carolyn Duncan!

Completed

Leaderboard

Donor Leaderboard

The five units with the most donors by midnight will each receive $1,000.

Rank	Prize	Unit	Donors
1	$1,000	Theatre & Dance	465
2	$1,000	Indiana Academy	299
3	$1,000	Communication Studies	194
4	$1,000	Soccer	179
5	$1,000	Ball State Fund	158
6		Accounting	130
7		Field Hockey	127
8		School of Music	125
9		Football	122
10		Gymnastics	114
11		Honors College	95
12		Men's Tennis	89
13		Cardinal Excellence Fund	86
14		Burris Laboratory School	81
15		Ball State University Police Department	80

Ended

Success!

Social Media Video Challenge

Congrats Study Abroad (Rinker Center) and UPD!

Completed

Leaderboard

College Donor Leaderboard

The college that has the most donors by midnight will receive $5,000 in challenge funds.

Rank	Prize	College	Donors
1	$5,000	College of Fine Arts	714
2		College of Communication, Information, and Media	575
3		College of Sciences and Humanities	515
4		Miller College of Business	373
5		College of Health	284
6		Teachers College	227
7		Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning	189
8		Honors College	95

Ended

Leaderboard

College Gift Increase Leaderboard

The three colleges with the biggest percentage of increased gifts from OBSD 2024 will receive $3,000, $2,000 and $1000.

Rank	Prize	College	% +/-	Goal
1	$3,000	Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning	+28.85%	201 goal: 156
2	$2,000	College of Fine Arts	+5.56%	1,006 goal: 953
3	$1,000	College of Communication, Information, and Media	-9.29%	762 goal: 840
4		College of Sciences and Humanities	-16.17%	565 goal: 674
5		Miller College of Business	-20.82%	407 goal: 514
6		Honors College	-27.33%	109 goal: 150
7		College of Health	-34.21%	325 goal: 494
8		Teachers College	-66.89%	299 goal: 903

Ended

Leaderboard

Non-Academic / Non Athletic Donor Leaderboard

The two non-academic/non-athletic areas with the most donors from 6-8 p.m. will each receive $1,000.

Rank	Prize	Non Academic/Non Athletic	Donors
1	$1,000	Ball State University Police Department	32
2	$1,000	Rinker Center for Global Affairs	23
3		Black Alumni Council	15
4		Employee Emergency Fund	6
5		Christian Student Foundation	6
6		Disability Services	6
7		Guardian Scholars	6
8		Housing & Residence Life	6
9		Digital Corps	6
10		Ball State Student Media	6
11		Cardinal Kitchen	6
12		David Owsley Museum of Art	5
13		Sports Link	5
14		Women of Beneficence (Discovery)	4
15		Alumni Programs	4

Ended

Leaderboard

Evening Donor Leaderboard

The five areas with the most donors between 8-10 p.m. will each receive $1,000 in challenge dollars.

Rank	Prize	Department	Raised
1	$1,000	Women of Beneficence (Discovery)	$13,225.00
2	$1,000	David Owsley Museum of Art	$8,730.00
3	$1,000	Theatre & Dance	$6,598.20
4	$1,000	Cardinal Excellence Fund	$6,330.00
5	$1,000	Men's Golf	$5,500.00
6		Indiana Academy	$5,492.00
7		Field Hockey	$2,913.28
8		Sports Link	$2,730.00
9		Gymnastics	$1,975.00
10		CAP's Travel Around the World Fund	$1,945.00
11		Nutrition & Health Science	$1,560.00
12		Communication Studies	$1,535.00
13		Ball State Fund	$1,465.00
14		Accounting	$1,410.00
15		Men's Basketball	$1,400.00

Ended

Match

Jenny and Kevin Smith Planetarium Challenge

Gifts to the Planetarium will be matched up to $250 by Jenny and Kevin Smith.

$250 MATCHED

Completed

Leaderboard

Provost Marri College Leaderboard Challenge

The three colleges with the most donors will unlock an additional $250 for 1st place, $150 for 2nd place and $100 for 3rd place from Provost Anand Marri.

Rank	Prize	Department	Donors
1	$250	College of Fine Arts	714
2	$150	College of Communication, Information, and Media	575
3	$100	College of Sciences and Humanities	515
4		Miller College of Business	373
5		College of Health	284
6		Teachers College	227
7		Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning	189
8		Honors College	95

Ended

Leaderboard

Dean McCarthy CSH Donation Leaderboard Challenge

The five departments in the College of Sciences and Humanities with the greatest percentage increase in donations over 2024 will each receive $200 from Dean Maureen McCarthy.

Rank	Prize	Department	% +/-	Goal
1	$200	Anthropology	+77.78%	16 goal: 9
2	$200	Mathematical Sciences	+53.33%	23 goal: 15
3	$200	Women's and Gender Studies	+46.15%	19 goal: 13
4	$200	Psychological Science	+38.89%	25 goal: 18
5	$200	Philosophy and Religious Studies	+27.91%	55 goal: 43
6		Political Science	+21.95%	50 goal: 41
7		History	+20.69%	35 goal: 29
8		Chemistry	-2.04%	48 goal: 49
9		Charles W. Brown Planetarium	-3.33%	29 goal: 30
10		Sociology	-9.09%	20 goal: 22
11		Geography and Meteorology	-10.81%	33 goal: 37
12		Modern Languages & Classics	-15.38%	55 goal: 65
13		English	-26.23%	45 goal: 61
14		Field Station and Environmental Education Center	-33.33%	10 goal: 15
15		Computer Science	-38.89%	22 goal: 36

Ended

Success!

LinkedIn Challenge

Share a One Ball State Day post on LinkedIn on April 1st or April 2nd for a chance to designate $500 to your favorite Ball State area! Must use #OneBallState and tag the Ball State Foundation!

Completed

Success!

Graduates of the Last Decade Challenge

In honor of 10 years of the Young Alumni Council, 250 gifts from graduates of the last decade to any University Fund unlocks a $250 donation from the Young Alumni council to the Student Leadership fund.

Completed

Success!

Foundation Employee Giving Challenge

100% participation of Foundation employees unlocks $500 from Foundation and BSUAA President Jean Crosby towards Cardinal Kitchen.

Completed

Questions? See our FAQ.

Or you can contact us at oneballstateday@bsu.edu.

Participating Groups

Alumni Association Athletics Chief Strategy Office Ball State Fund Ball State PBS Burris Laboratory School Christian Student Foundation Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning College of Communication, Information, and Media College of Fine Arts College of Health College of Sciences and Humanities Digital Corps Employee Emergency Fund Graduate School Honors College Immersive Learning Indiana Academy Indiana Public Radio Learning Center Miller College of Business Name a Goose Online Student Support Fund Rinker Center for Global Affairs Student Affairs Scholarships Teachers College Undergraduate Research & Creative Project Support University College University Libraries Women of Beneficence (Discovery)

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