NAVAJO COUNTY, AZ (August 13, 2025) – Northland Pioneer College (NPC) and Kayenta Township leaders recently signed a lease agreement to establish a new center in Kayenta, Arizona located in Navajo County. The new facility will be built on Navajo Nation trust land and will increase access to higher education learning opportunities in the area. The project is expected to break ground in 2026 and be completed by summer 2027.

Northland Pioneer College President Von Lawson and NPC board members, Kayenta Township, and Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren attended the lease signing celebrating the long-term agreement for the facility.

Supported by a $9 million Economic Transition Resources Grant awarded by the Arizona Commerce Authority, the new Kayenta Center will be built within Kayenta Industrial Park and will replace NPC’s current existing location. The expansion will include two buildings—one for classrooms, labs, and community services and another for the new Kayenta town library. 

"By expanding opportunities in higher education, we are helping more Arizonans realize the Arizona Promise,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “With this new grant, Northland Pioneer College will create education and career pathways for Arizonans in rural and Tribal communities and play an important role in shaping the future of the state."

“We must continue to advocate and make sure these leases continue to happen to make sure we bring a beautiful campus here to the Navajo Nation,” said President Nygren. “Thank you for all the work you’ve done that has taken years to accomplish.”

“It has long been my belief that access to education is the great equalizer,” said Senator Theresa Hatathlie. "I am immensely proud to have played a role in securing this appropriation and expanding higher education opportunities on the Nation. While I believe this Center's build is long overdue, this is a celebratory moment for the entire state. I look forward to the Center's opening and the positive impact I know it will make in the community.”

“This grant, funded through the Arizona Commerce Authority, enables Northland Pioneer College to expand and modernize our Kayenta campus, strengthening our ability to serve not only the local community but the broader central region of the Navajo Nation,” said Dr. Von Lawson, President of Northland Pioneer College. “We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to invest in the future and to help young people across the Navajo Nation pursue their dreams of education and opportunity.”

The upgraded center will offer expanded programs in healthcare, career and technical education, and broadband-enabled learning. Additionally, it will serve as a hub for workforce development, small business support, and community engagement. The new center will help serve as a platform for collaboration with local institutions such as the Kayenta Unified School District and the Kayenta Alternative Rural Hospital.

“The Kayenta expansion represents a big win for rural Arizona and our tribal communities,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona College Authority. “We’re proud to support Northland Pioneer College with the new center in Kayenta, which will help create new economic, small business, and education opportunities for residents in rural Arizona.”

Media Contact

Alyssa Tufts, Arizona Commerce Authority, [email protected]

 

About the Arizona Commerce Authority
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state's leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona's economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: attract, expand, create - attract out-of-state companies to establish operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to expand their business in Arizona and beyond; and help entrepreneurs create new Arizona businesses in targeted industries. For more information, please visit azcommerce.com and follow the ACA on X @azcommerce.