SOLEDAD — Hartnell College’s grand-opening celebration for its new Soledad Education Center, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, will combine an official ribbon-cutting, building tour, family festival and free hot dog-hamburger picnic for all.
The event will include a Presentation of Colors by the Soledad High School Navy Junior ROTC and performances by the San Vicente Dance Team and the Soledad High Band. The picnic meal is being provided by the Soledad Rotary Club.
The public is invited to walk through the 16,750-square-foot building at 1505 Metz Road, watch science demonstrations by Hartnell students and talk to college staff about course offerings and how to become a Hartnell student.
Soledad City Council voted Sept. 1 to proclaim Oct. 23 “Hartnell College Higher Learning Awareness Day” in honor of the event.
“This event is one we have looked forward to for a long time,” said Erica Padilla-Chavez, president of the Hartnell Community College District Governing Board, whose district includes Soledad. “This center provides so many educational opportunities for the Salinas Valley. It’s a beautiful building, and we’re eager to show it off.”
Classes began at the center on Aug. 30, serving about 180 students. The building has wet and dry science labs, flexible and interactive classrooms, a community room and a tutoring and study center known as the Panther Learning Lab.
Both the Soledad center and an expansion that doubled the size of Hartnell’s education center in King City were built using funds from the $167 million Measure T bond, approved in 2016 by Hartnell Community College District voters.
The money is also paying for construction of a third education center in Castroville and a new nursing and health sciences building on Main Campus, both of which will be finished this academic year.
For more information about the Soledad and King City centers, visit the informational webpage, which includes links to virtual tours of both facilities.
Article submitted by Scott Faust, Communications Director for Hartnell College.
