Cathy Novinger Girl Scout Leadership Center now open

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The Cathy Novinger Girl Scout Leadership Center celebrated its official opening on Saturday.

Construction began on the center, located at 1101 Williams St. near the Vista, last October. The center honors Novinger, a longtime Columbia leader and businesswoman who died of cancer in November 2016.

Run by Girls Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands, the 28,000-square-foot center will offer activities centered around central concepts of the Girl Scout movement: business enterprise; global citizenship; healthy living; the arts; outdoor education; and science, technology, engineering and math activities.

The interior includes a 2,500-foot multipurpose room that can be divided into smaller classrooms, as well as a library and conference room. There also will be an art lab and a STEM lab that will feature computers, robotics kits and engineering and construction kits.

“Having the community join us to celebrate the Cathy Novinger Girl Scout Leadership Center’s opening reinforces the Girl Scout values that this facility is meant to build within our members and the community,” Karen Mitchell, chair of the ToGetHerThere capital campaign, said in a news release. “This weekend, we celebrated the inclusivity that the Cathy Novinger Girl Scout Leadership Center represents.”

Those in attendance at Saturday’s open house included U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Peggy McMaster, wife of S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster.

“We have been so excited to show the public what the Cathy Novinger Girl Scout Leadership Center can do for them and our girls,” said Meredith Manning, Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands board chair. “As we focus on teaching our girls leadership development, it is important that parents, families and community leaders see how we plan to do that. This weekend was a preview for what this center will achieve.”