Incline Village Schools

Because some Washoe County schools are finding it difficult to afford transportation for field trips, the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center is seeking a $50,000 grant from the PepsiCo beverage company to create a mobile exhibit.

Johanna Bell, planetarium exhibits coordinator and business manager, said votes can be cast on the PepsiCo Web site for the science center. The 10 agencies with the most votes will receive the grants.

"There's hundreds of different organizations we're competing with," Bell said. "You can vote once a day until March 31.

"Right now, we're 149th, so we really need to step up."

She said the money would enable the center to buy a portable planetarium dome, projector and new star shows, so pupils don't have to travel to the University of Nevada, Reno campus for field trips.

"And we're the only science outreach K-12 in Northern Nevada," she said. "We have school field trips from all over Washoe County, the surrounding counties in Northern Nevada and from Northern California as well."

It costs $100 a day to rent a school bus in Washoe County, district spokesman Steve Mulvenon said.

"Schools are not given district money for field trips, there's not a line item in their budget for that" Mulvenon said. "So, (schools) do all kind of creative fundraisers. Sometimes, it's done on a school level. Sometimes, it's an individual teacher that wants to schedule a field trip for something."

Bringing the exhibit to school sites "is a good idea" because students wouldn't lose as much instruction time, he said.

The planetarium's mobile exhibit would have an inflatable dome and the same kind of projection and program as at UNR, Bell said.

"So, we can set it up in the cafeteria or gym, or even outdoors, depending on the weather or if they have access to electricity," she said.

How to help

To help the Fleischmann Planetarium get a $50,000 grant, visit www.refresheverything.com, search for "Fleischmann Planetarium" and click on the box that comes up on the site. One vote can be entered each day. March 31 is the deadline.

For more information, call the planetarium at 775-784-4812.