The many children who over the years have participated in the Georgetown Palace Theatre’s education programs have learned valuable lessons about being the best people they can be, said Doug Smith, the namesake of a future children’s performance center and a benefactor who gave $1 million toward its development.

“They’re learning self-discipline. They’re learning teamwork,” Doug Smith said during the Nov. 13 groundbreaking of the future Doug Smith Performance Center at the southwest corner of Second and Rock streets in downtown Georgetown. “They’re going to be better citizens.”

The new center will allow the nonprofit theater’s education program to expand its programming for children, said Kristen Smith (no relation to Doug Smith), the theater’s development director. More than 600 students participated in the education program this past summer, which Kristen Smith said was a large increase from 2017. She said about 5,000 students are expected to participate in educational programming at the theater this fall.

The 14,500-square-foot facility will include a performance space with more than 200 seats, a dance studio with a professional dance floor, seven classrooms, a rehearsal space, and an outdoor terrace that can be used for classes or events, Kristen Smith said.

Fundraising efforts for the $4.6 million project continue, and Kristen Smith said donors have given about $2.3 million so far. Construction is anticipated to finish in 2020. The facility is designed by Wang Architects.