New education center at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Construction is nearly complete for the new Monterey Bay Aquarium education center.

This 42-million dollar facility will nearly double the number of kids the aquarium can educate. KION got a special sneak peek at the building before its official opening.

Solar panel roofs, fish tanks, and critters everywhere you look… those are just a few reasons the new Bechtel Education Center isn’t your typical classroom.

Alvin Lin was learning at the new location Wednesday. He says, “It’s not cool, it’s quite amazing, actually.”

This locations serves as a place for students to learn and get excited about marine science and ocean conservation. And what better place to learn about the ocean, than being right next to it.

Rita Bell is the Vice President with the aquarium. She says, “If you really want kids and people to learn about the ocean what better place right?.”

Bell says the aquarium has been teaching students and hosting field trips since they opened, that was back in the 80’s. And with so much interest from students, the aquarium needed more space.

“What we want to do is help young people discover their voice and their passion about the ocean. And then we want them to be able to share that passion with other people,” says Bell.

For the aquarium, the term ‘practice what you preach’ comes to mind. The building is about as an environmental sustainability as you go.

This building already has a few programs going already going on, but it will officially open its doors May 9th.

For more information on this new center, visit: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/