campus
Helena College events – Helena, MT
Helena College is the University of Montana's two-year college in Helena, whose Donaldson Campus lecture hall at 1115 N. Roberts St. hosts free public talks, info nights, and screenings.
1115 N Roberts St, Helena, MT 59601 · Official site
Upcoming at Helena College
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About Helena College
Helena College University of Montana is a two-year public college that began in 1939 as an area trade school, with roots in the Helena School of Aeronautics founded in 1931. It was known for decades as the Helena Vocational-Technical Center and joined the University of Montana system in 1994. It enrolls about 1,500 students in associate degree and certificate programs, including nursing and the trades. The Donaldson Campus on North Roberts Street, named for education supporter Gene Donaldson, has about 108,000 square feet of space; a $10 million expansion added a library, a lecture hall, science labs, and a multipurpose room that the college opens to the public for talks and events.
The Donaldson Campus is at 1115 N. Roberts St., Helena, MT 59601, on the east side of town near the Montana Department of Transportation offices and a short drive from the Capitol. Campus lots are free for evening events. The college's second site, the Airport Campus at 2300 Airport Road, houses automotive, welding, and machining programs and has its own lecture hall. Public events in the Donaldson lecture hall are usually free and listed on the college's events page and on Visit Helena and HelenaEvents calendars, which name the room as Helena College Donaldson Campus Lecture Hall.
What happens here
- Free public talks in the lecture hall, such as historian Ellen Baumler's Halloween-season ghost stories from Last Chance Gulch
- Program information nights, such as the Cosmetology Info Night, held in the lecture hall
- Film and conference screenings, such as a daylong TEDxManhattan livestream on food systems
- Commencement each May, held on the Donaldson Campus during graduation weekend
- Continuing education classes and community workshops in the multipurpose room
Good to know
- Evening events use the main Donaldson Campus entrance off North Roberts Street; the lecture hall is inside the newer wing, so follow the posted signs.
- Check which campus an event is on. The Airport Campus at 2300 Airport Road also has a lecture hall and is several miles away.
- Most community talks are free and unticketed; arrive 15 minutes early, since the hall is a fixed-seat room.
Helena College FAQ
- What events happen at Helena College?
- Free public lectures and history talks, program information nights, film and conference screenings, continuing education classes, and the college's May commencement. Most public events are in the Donaldson Campus lecture hall at 1115 N. Roberts St. and are listed on helenacollege.edu/events and on Visit Helena's calendar.
- Where is Helena College and where do I park?
- The main Donaldson Campus is at 1115 N. Roberts St., Helena, MT 59601, on Helena's east side. Campus parking lots are free for evening public events. The Airport Campus, home to the trades programs, is at 2300 Airport Road.
- Is Helena College the same as UM Helena?
- Yes. The school was the Helena Vocational-Technical Center until it affiliated with the University of Montana in 1994; it has been branded Helena College University of Montana, often shortened to Helena College or UM Helena.