| Merced College in Merced, California, is located near the center of the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most rapidly urbanizing regions in the nation. While California's population is expected to double throughout the next 45 years, the Valley's population is expected to triple. Although the national population is aging at a rapid rate, more than one-third (34.5 percent) of Merced's residents are age 17 and under, compared with 25.6 percent nationwide. The city's Hispanic population grew by 63 percent between 1980 and 1990.
Merced's economy is primarily driven by the agriculture industry, which includes both growers and related industries such as packing, shipping, processing, irrigation systems, and pesticide research. Because of its reliance on such a seasonal industry, Merced County had an unemployment rate of 15.2 percent in 1998, which was one of the highest unemployment rates in California. The area was hard hit in 1995 by the closing of Castle Air Force Base, which was the area's largest employer. The base provided more than 6,000 jobs, or 10 percent of the county's employment opportunities.
Because Merced has grown so rapidly since 1980, the community has had trouble financing capital improvements such as roads, parks, and public facilities. The community's projected growth, which includes construction of a new University of California campus, far outpaces the amount of money available to pay for an adequate infrastructure.
Merced College will use Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities funds to help the City of Merced build a youth center that will feature a full range of educational and recreational activities for local young people. The Merced Boys and Girls Club, which will operate the center, will provide age-appropriate activities that include academic tutoring and homework assistance, athletic leagues, computer training classes, and recreational activities. Merced College will offer career exploration programs to help low- and moderate-income adolescents understand possible career paths, apply career decisionmaking skills, and experience what higher education has to offer.
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