Diane Bryant STEM Innovation Center
The Diane Bryant STEM Innovation Center is a three-story, 57,000 square foot building that officially opened in Fall 2021. The building provides critically needed infrastructure, contemporary classrooms, and laboratory spaces, which are essential for 21st century teaching and learning. Housed in the STEM building are classrooms and labs for astronomy, business, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and physics, along with the STEM Center (MESA), the American River Immersive Education and Innovations Lab (ARIEL), and computer and statistics labs. The center replaced the college's outdated Liberal Arts facilities that were built in the 1960s.
In 2017, ARC embarked on a fundraising campaign called "Investing in Knowledge, building for the Future" to build a state-of-the-art facility to help train and create a skilled STEM workforce.
Local and state bond dollars earmarked for STEM modernization projects in community colleges paid for the $32 million cost of construction of the building and $2.5 million was raised from the generous support of alumni, employees, emeriti, and corporate and community partners to purchase technology and equipment for students to gain hands-on experience using the same cutting-edge tools they will encounter at high-tech employers. This experiential learning will ensure that Sacramento's students have access to the highest quality, affordable and most up-to-date STEM education available.