Allan Hancock College officials, including Superintendent/President José Ortiz and members of the Board of Trustees, recently broke ground on the new $6.5 million Children’s Center expansion.
The event kicked off the construction phase of the long-awaited development, which will allow all of the campus’ early childhood studies facilities to be located under one roof. The 8,900 square-foot addition will feature new classrooms, labs, and an outdoor classroom demonstration site. According to a press release from the college, the building design maximizes sustainable features, including recycled materials and low-emitting lighting, environmental control systems, and water-efficient landscaping.
A special feature of the addition will be the renovated and redesigned Outdoor Classroom Project component, underwritten by the Orfalea Foundation. This project envisions the outdoors as a classroom space equivalent to the indoor classroom. The area will feature separate yards for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, each with a variety of natural features, including open lawns, gardens, sandy areas, water features, plants, and trees. The outdoor learning space will cover more than 9,700 square feet.
The entire project is being funded by Bond Measure I, which was passed by voters in 2006 to support facility and technology improvements at Allan Hancock College.
School Scene is compiled by Managing Editor Amy Asman. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Aug 11-18, 2011.