Where we foster excellence in education that challenges students of every background to develop their intellect, character, and abilities; to assist students in achieving their educational and career goals; and to be responsive to the greater community.
While the 2022 IVC Diamond Jubilee is a significant event in our Valley's higher education
opportunities, this legacy actually began in 1922 with the founding of Central Junior
College in El Centro.It was in September, 1922 that the first classes were held there, in a building located on the grounds of Central Union High School. Two years later, in the fall of 1924, instruction began at a second college, Brawley Junior College, on the grounds of Brawley Union High School.
Enrollment increased in both schools until World War II, when attendance dropped sharply. Brawley Junior College was forced, by lack of attendance, to discontinue classes at the close of the 1947 school year. The former college building is still used as classrooms at BUHS.
In the fall of 1951, Central Junior College students petitioned their governing board,
the Central Union High School Board of Trustees, for a more representative name for
the college because it was now serving students from all of the Imperial Valley. The
board agreed to change the college's name to Imperial Valley College.
Under the administration of the Central Union High School District, IVC gained recognition as an accredited institution of higher education. As the institution grew with the community, this growth was reflected in the steady rise in enrollment and in the diversity of courses and curricula.
After the new college district was formed, IVC classes were held on the Imperial High School campus, in "temporary" buildings while the Aten Road campus was constructed. Those "temporary" buildings were later moved to the Aten Road site and served as IVC classrooms for the next five decades.
The building that once housed IVC on the CUHS campus was used as high school classrooms until it was torn down when construction began on Central's new STEM building that opened last year.
