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On October 21, 2024, Greensboro Day School broke ground on the Center for Student Life, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation (SLEI), a new 49,000-square-foot facility that will be positioned in the heart of campus as a new innovation hub and main entrance for the school.
The groundbreaking party consisted of (L–R, above) Aarna Gaddam ’37, Parker Berry ’29, Julia White ’38, Campbell Hall ’25, Mary Katherine Strong McInnis ’04, Chuck Keeley ’81, Merrill Keeley, Mary Katherine Bell, Durant Bell ’98, Head of School Dr. Tracie Catlett, Jackie Bell, Steve Bell, John King ’87, Norman Samet, Sylvia Samet, and Mark Bostian of Little Architects.
The SLEI will include a 400-seat dining commons as well as centers for programs in entrepreneurship, design and the arts, engineering, robotics, public purpose, and student wellness. In addition to entrepreneurial incubator spaces, the SLEI will include an industrial makerspace that will accommodate textile design, woodworking, 3D printing, and welding. The SLEI will also include flexible, hands-on spaces allowing students to explore current and emerging technologies in robotics, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
The Center for Student Life, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation is part of the School’s $27 Million Be BOLD Campaign, which also includes the recently opened Helen Monroe Preschool, a new maintenance facility, and new restroom facilities at the Tennis Center. A portion of the campaign will grow the School’s endowment by $2 million.
The Be BOLD Campaign has received the two largest gifts in the history of Greensboro Day School: a $6 million gift from Jackie and Steve Bell and a $7.8 million gift from the estate of Fred M. Kirby III.
According to Chief Philanthropy Officer Dr. Ian Patrick, the School plans to complete fundraising for the Be BOLD Campaign by December of 2024. The Center for Student Life, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation is planned to open in March of 2026. The SLEI was designed by Little Architects of Charlotte; Samet Corp. is the general contractor for the project.