Hartnell College reveals new Soledad Education Center

SOLEDAD, Calif. (KION) Hartnell College is opening their new education center next Saturday in Soledad and the community is invited to the family festival with free hot dogs and hamburgers and tour the building. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Soledad Education Center.

San Vicente Dance Team and Soledad High School Band will be performing along with Soledad High's Navy Junior ROTC Presentation of Colors. Soledad Rotary Club is proving the meal for the picnic.

“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.”

The building is 16,750-square-feet with wet and dry science labs, flexible and interactive classroom, a community room, tutoring and study center. Anyone is welcomed to stop by and talk to college staff and watch Harnell students present science demonstrations.

Harnell College also extended its education center in King City. Both centers were built using funds from the Measure T bond that Harnell Community College District voters approved in 2016. According to Hartnell College, the $167 million is also supposed to cover the construction of a third education center in Castroville and a new nursing and health sciences building on the Main Campus. Both buildings are supposed to be complete by the end of Spring 2022.

Take a virtual tour of the facility here.