The wheels are officially turning on a collaboration between National City and UCSD to open an educational, health and workforce development hub in National City after the City Council voted unanimously to authorize a letter of intent outlining the partnership last week.
Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis is a UCSD alumna and said she has envisioned an educational pipeline in National City for years that would provide resources to National City’s working class community and ultimately allow for upward mobility and increased financial independence.
“I’ve shared before that I believe education is one of the great equalizers along with good paying jobs and having a world-renowned four-year university partner with the city of National City to become a workforce and health education hub, I really feel that the possibilities are endless,” Sotelo-Solis said.
According to the U.S. Census, National City has a predominantly Latino population with a median household income of about $46,000 and 19.9 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
Sotelo-Solis said building an educational hub in National City serves as a catalyst for the community to say “we are worth it, we are hardworking, we are deserving of these opportunities.”
The hub is expected to be constructed around 24th Street in National City, near the blue trolley line which allows people to travel between National City and La Jolla in about a half an hour.
“We are not only doing good for the environment, but we’re also connecting mass institutions and education,” Sotelo-Solis said.
Resources that will be offered at the hub include a comprehensive parent university, educational outreach programs to develop STEM career pathways for high school students, programs to increase access to higher education to students from low-income underrepresented groups and support for post-military career transitions.
In the next six months, UCSD Extension Dean Ed Abeyta said UCSD and National City aim to start pilot programming for the hub.
“This was a conversation with the community about what the community needs,” Abeyta said.
He added that trust and sustainability is “paramount” in building relationships with the National City community, and building a hub in National City speaks to UCSD’s core values and ongoing effort to expand their reach in the South Bay.
When it comes to a target audience for the resources being offered, Abeyta said it’s really people from every stage in life ranging from kids in preschool to people that are post-retirement.
“You can think of it almost like a buffet where you can get what you need but you can also change it as you need,” Abeyta said.
