Grand opening and dedication ceremonies are this afternoon at 4:30 for the $32-million expanded and remodeled Math Science Center of Innovative Learning at Chadron State College.
Among the dignitaries scheduled to take part are Nebraska State College System Chancellor Paul Turman and the State College Trustees, who are making their annual trip to Chadron for a formal board meeting tomorrow afternoon.
The event comes almost exactly two years after groundbreaking ceremonies for the project that gutted the half-century old structure and added a new wing that more than doubled the space.
Chadron State Marketing Coordinator Tena Cook says while the new wing is on the north, the new main entrance to the building is still on the south side – and that’s where today’s ceremony will be.
Cook says overflow parking for the dedication will be at the nearby CSC softball field.
CSC President Dr Randy Rhine says although the building was state-of-the-art when it opened, it hadn’t kept up with technological advances or the growth in careers in STEM – science, technology, engineering, math .
The Center of Innovative Learning brings everything up-to-date and includes modern study and gathering areas. Some look like restaurant booths, there’s a balcony patio, and high tables that double as whiteboards.
With all of that, Rhine isn’t sure what will be the most popular part of the COIL.
Rhine also thinks everyone who visits the COIL will be impressed by the landscaping and the way it evokes the natural beauty of the prairies and the Pine Ridge.
The Nebraska Environmental Trust, funded by the Nebraska Lottery, gave the project a nearly $484,000 grant.
Again, today’s grand opening and dedication ceremonies are this afternoon at 4:30.