top of page

Upcoming Events:

  • Oct 14, 8:30 PM – Oct 15, 11:00 PM
    Gabe Zimmerman Trail Head, 16248 E Marsh Station Rd, Vail, AZ 85641, USA
    We invite you to join us under the immense beauty of our dark skies for a night of wonder and awe! - FREE EVENT
_2023 TA _Winner-White-600x503-edf800e.png
readers c.jpg

Reach For The Stars

501(c)3 Nonprofit

 

First-ever nonprofit to use ASTRONOMY for MENTAL HEALTH
in the USA!

Our Mission:

The mission of Reach For The Stars is to uniquely improve mental health for children and the community through astronomy, STEM, and volunteer opportunities, influencing the course of history for generations to come.

Youth Program & benefits:

IMG_20230626_153015.png

"Unlock the Universe & Reach for The Stars in Our Youth program!"

Is your child struggling? Sign them up for our multi-week youth program held at the Ott YMCA, where they will find immense joy, awe, and cosmic wonder! 

Our nonprofit provides an innovative service to improve the mental health of youth: stargazing! In our youth program, we take kids out under the stars and teach them about the wonders of space, and perform astronomy-based activities. Through this, we help them to understand why astronomy is important to mental health and why looking up at the night sky can be so calming and inspiring.

Through our program, we strive to show kids why astronomy is so important to mental health and how it can help them discover the power of their own potential. 

STEM (Science, Engineering, Math, Technology) helps children develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. These skills, when learned during a young age, will form habits that will lead to success during school and as they enter the workforce.

 

Volunteering in kids is proven by studies that they are more likely to graduate high school and attend college. Volunteering also teaches children vital social-emotional skills.

Image of the rosette nebula taken with our backyard telescope

Astrophotography!

Senior Exit Projects

Telescope & Equipment Restoration 

Solar Viewing days!

Telescope Lessons/Mentors!

Elementary,

Middle School,

High School,

College Presentations!

 House Parties!

Corporate Events!

Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, Youth & Adult Camps

Vendor Fairs

Bi-annual Fundraisers

Due to the 20% increase of children suffering from severe anxiety over the last 10 years, along with Arizona being higher than the national average for suicide among young teens at 17%, Reach For The Stars believes that it is critical, now more than ever, to be a guide for our youth and give them a unique, fun, and whole-person way to transform.  When health problems are not addressed early, they can easily have lasting consequences into adulthood.

Even though children are the main focus, our community astronomy events bring people of all ages, with reports of lasting, uplifting change. We believe  space to be one of the most awe-inspiring frontiers available, especially to children. Our specialty is making a connection through our many programs, events, advanced equipment, and experiences: lowering depression by widening perspectives, enhancing spirituality with views of galaxies  (nebula, star clusters, planets etc.), harnessing peace, as well as sparking creative thinking through STEM. 

Image of the Milky-Way taken with our backyard telescope
The Milky-way  band stretching across the night sky over Tucson Arizona - Image taken by our friend Alister Symon (www.woodlandsobservatory.com)

Our Annual Galaxy Masquerade is coming up soon, get your tickets now!

2023 Galaxy Gala Flyer for our nonprofit fundraiser
IMage from our stagazing event showing a green laser pointer line pointing up to the stars
Plican nebula image taken with our backyard telescope

Monthly Telescope Giveaways!

Monthly Stargazing Events!

We bring the space to you

Book a private stargazing event today!

The maximum QCO credit donation amount for 2022:
$400 single, married filing separate or head of household; $800 married filing joint.

The maximum QCO credit donation amount for 2023:
$421 single, married filing separate or head of household; $841 married filing joint.

Please Note: Arizona law allows QCO donations made during 2022 or donations made from January 1, 2023 through April 18, 2023 to be claimed on the 2022 Arizona income tax return.  The maximum credit that can be claimed on the 2022 Arizona return for donations made to QCO's is $400 for single, married filing separate or head of household taxpayers, and $800 for married filing joint taxpayers.  If a taxpayer makes a QCO donation from January 1, 2023 through April 18, 2023 and wants to claim the higher 2023 maximum credit amount, the taxpayer will need to claim the credit on the 2023 Arizona return filed in 2024.

AZ Tax Credit information

PayPal ButtonPayPal Button
A child looking through a telescope inside. that we donated to them
20220909_191323.jpg

HELP US INSPIRE THIS GENERATION OF YOUTH

Astronomy works & we are using this proven skill to transcend minds! 

Created August 2020 by Founders, Carlos Aragon & Kira Reid - Proud veterans & survivors, 

The founders Kira and Carlos Aragon sitting infront of the camera posing for a picture, wearing blue and looking good!

Seen On:

Chavy Logo - A collaborator with our nonprofit
File_000 (20)_edited.png
IMG_3283.jpg
IMG_3278_edited.png
IMG_3279.JPG
IMG_3280.JPG
Raido Logo.png
IMG_3281.PNG
TMB-banner-header-1920x852-1-430x430.jpg
bottom of page