Greensboro Daily Photo

The Arc of Greensboro and High Point

The Arc of Greensboro began in 1953, and in High Point in 1957. It is a grassroots organization started by the parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.A large part of the early years of the organization was dedicated to advocacy and educating the community at large about the potential of this special population. It is incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) that gets grants  from many organizations; however, they also have fundraisers.

This evening, The Arc of High Point will have their annual art auction. It is a silent auction of art painted by program participants throughout the year. You can attend in person at The Art Gallery at Congdon Yards (400 West English Road, Suite 151) from 6:00- 7:30 pm, or you can actually bid online. Get tickets HERE. The above photo features three pieces of art on the wall of The Arc School and it is very likely these pieces will be for sale tonight. Hats off to their art teacher, Liz McKinnon, who determines the theme for the evening and help students hone their art skills all year long. Liz has a way of bringing the inner artist out of her students. From Greensboro to High Point and all the corners of Guilford County, events like this have a way of bring people together. They remind us that all people who live here are part of our village. The theme this year is Art Eternal.

Happy Wednesday!

Inspiring Women in STEM

Last night, NC Global Leadership (NCGL), in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, held a conversation with international women in S.T.E.M. The title of the program was "Hidden No More, International Women Leaders in S.T.E.M. Fields." The event was sponsored by, and held at, the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. NCGL Board Member Lisa Stahlmann Jessar moderated the program. The above photo features the seven, international visiting scholars among new friends, students, and supporters who came out to hear them speak. All were engrossed in conversation before and after a brief pause for this photo. The visiting scientist/leaders are from Bolivia, Costa Rica, Iraq, Mongolia, Nigeria, Panama, and the Republic of Korea. 

These  international women leaders in S.T.E.M shared their educational and career journeys and challenges they had to overcome. During the question and answer time, they mentioned the need for equal opportunities for women and more balanced opportunities in the field. They said people in the science fields need soft skills, entrepreneurship and leadership skills. Answering a question of a doctoral student from Kenya about how she could help and nurture women in science, Ms. Wara Mendez (Bolivia) said "there is no need to reinvent the wheel, resources are out there; but you have to seek them out."  A man in the audience said he believed these international visiting leaders are successful because they "never took no for an answer."  

This event was an example of partnerships within partnerships resulting in cultivating international relationships on many levels.  Since its inception in the 1940s, the International Visitor Leadership Program has among its past participants over 500 current or former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government. With great interest, we will follow the careers of the women in this cohort.

Happy Tuesday!

Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program 2023

Six weeks have flown by as 21 Teachers from 20 countries have been in Greensboro at UNCG. Already experts and leaders in their fields, the teachers learned about American culture and also teaching techniques used in the American school systems. Each Fulbright scholar spent a week in a Guilford County school collaborating with partner teachers at the host schools. Participating schools were: Middle College at UNCG, Doris Henderson Newcomers School, Johnson Street Global Studies Elementary School, Northern Guilford High School, and Western Guilford High School.

Seated in the center are Dr. Maria Anastasiou (red jacket), Fulbright TEA Program Director and Associate Provost for International Programs at UNCG. To the right of Dr. Anastasiou is Dr. Jane He, Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education at UNCG. Both faculty members were closely involved in the Fulbright Program. Part of the beauty of a university and college community is the opportunity to gain a more global perspective through interaction with people from across the globe. If you have a chance to host an international scholar in your classroom or in your home, please do so, you won't regret it. You will gain as much as you give. Every indication is that Greensboro left a powerful impression on these 21 scholars that will last a lifetime

Happy Saturday!

The Friday Afternoon Group

 

The Friday Afternoon Group has been meeting in Greensboro for the past 125 years- since 1898! The group has always attracted intellectually curious women who gather to socialize and to enjoy programs that keep them connected to the Greensboro community and to each other. In the early years of the organization, the meetings were very formal, with high tea in members' homes. Dress was very elegant and rules of etiquette were stricter than they are today. While much of the rigidity of the early years has gone by the wayside (as in many organizations), the Friday Afternoon Group remains true to the idea of being the best version of oneself.

Yesterday, we had the good fortune to present to the group about the history of Greensboro Daily Photo and what we endeavor to do by publishing a photo a day. The above photo was taken of the women in attendance as the presentation about the people, places, and events of Greensboro was concluding. The meeting was held at the clubhouse at Fountain Manor, just behind St. Pius Catholic Church. The program was well received and members were absolutely delightful to talk to after the program. The finger sandwiches and punch were perfect for the late afternoon hour. We are grateful to have spent the afternoon with this group. Many members, most lifelong residents of Greensboro, gave us wonderful ideas of future photos to take. Afternoons like this are the very reason we continue to maintain Greensboro Daily Photo. Here's to the next 125 years of the Friday Afternoon Group- and, our relationship with them.

Happy Saturday!

NC Global Leaders from France Have Arrived!

Greensboro has a North Carolina Global Leadership (NCGL) Council, which is part of the International Visitor Leadership Program and under the U.S. Department of State. NCGL plans programs and hosts participants from all over the world. Currently, the above NC Global Leadership Council participants are visiting from France. They represent a wide array of cities and regions: Rennes, Auvergne, Clergy-Pontoise, Limoges, Bidart, Nimes, and Southern Brittany. Each participant has been identified as emerging leader in their respective field. The title of their local program this week is "Adapting French University Post-COVID Study Abroad Programming to U.S. Demand and Shaping Sustainable Partnerships." Greensboro resident Beth Sheffield (fourth from the right) has been involved with NCGL since the early 1990's. With her cheerful demeanor, knowledge of Greensboro, and extensive understanding of NCGL, Beth is the perfect person to greet the group and help them with logistics.  They arrived at the PTI Airport yesterday, where this photo was taken.

Greensboro is the last stop on the group's multi-city program.  Over the next few days, they will visit several institutions of higher education, where much of the conversation will focus on the internationalization of higher education. Participants will have many opportunities to engage in rich conversations and develop global partnerships.  If you see anybody from the above group, be sure to give them a big Greensboro welcome. 

Happy Wednesday!

Dogwood Time in Greensboro!

Greensboro's landscapes are enriched by its understory of pink and white dogwoods; and below the dogwoods, the pink and white azaleas. Dogwoods like soil that drains well, shade, and temperatures under 95º.  in 1955, the Greensboro Council of Garden Clubs held a dogwood planting program. Approximately 11,000 dogwoods were planted locally, in an effort to help the city become known as "The Dogwood City."* The average lifespan of a dogwood tree is about 80 years. Many of those dogwoods from "Operation Dogwood" are starting to age out. Plus, as the tree canopy gets cut down, the dogwoods struggle. In 2004, there was again an effort to implement a planning program and every 5th grader in Greensboro received a dogwood seedling to plant. This Arbor Day initiative came with a week-long curriculum for teachers to use in the classroom, in an effort to inspire students to plant their seedlings- and to give them the skills to know how to plant their little dogwoods. Part of this curriculum taught students the benefits of trees and the importance of keeping our shade trees.

Operation Dogwood was such an inspiring program. Let's all consider planting a dogwood for Arbor Day 2023. It is Friday, April 28th. Remember, pink dogwoods are cultivars of white dogwoods and almost always need to started from cuttings of pink trees. Most seeds of pink dogwoods yield white trees. It would be so nice for someone to read this post and take on this initiative; maybe even a student looking for a service learning project.

Here are some organizations that helped with previous "dogwood" initiatives: N.C. Division of Forest Resources, Department of Environment and Natural Resources; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Region; N.C. Cooperative Extension Service in Guilford County; Greensboro's Urban Forestry Program; Greensboro's Parks and Recreation Department; Greensboro Beautiful; Guilford County Master Gardeners; Council of Garden Clubs; Davey Tree Service; and many of the local retirement communities. It is always worth asking to see if anyone is interested in helping fund another round of planting dogwoods. It has already been 19 years since the 2004 effort. Come on, Greensboro, we've got this! Do you have a dogwood in your yard? Is it from one from the 1955 or 2004 initiative?

Happy Monday! 

 

* reference and more information in this News and Record article by Karen Neill in 2004. We really miss those articles by her! 

Students Demand Action

Wednesday was a national day of protest. In the above photo, students from the Middle College at UNCG joined the national walkout to raise awareness about gun violence. They are seen at the corner of Spring Garden and Stirling Streets.  The student-led event was peaceful and impactful. At exactly 12:00 noon, students got up from their seats and quietly walked out of school. In civics class, taught by the very talented April Dunovant, students learn not only their rights, but also their responsibilities. They know that the First Amendment of the Constitution gives them the right to peaceably assemble. They also know it is their responsibility to stand up for what they believe.

Our youth of America mourn the senseless loss of lives, especially those of students at school. They are hoping for legislation and action to help end gun violence. Within 40 minutes, the protesting students were back in class and instruction resumed. Some days, it is the learning with peers beyond the classroom, like the above protest, that is remembered well into the future. We're betting (and hoping) some of the students in the above photo become leaders in the Greensboro community.

Happy Friday! 

Love Greensboro

We found a great poster to reflect how we at GDP feel about Greensboro. We got print number 16/30 of the 12 1/2" by 19" poster.  In addition to the heart within the circle graphic, in the green, 31 Greensboro neighborhoods (from Adams Farm to Westerwood) are typed in an ALL CAPS, gray font. Believe it or not, it can be hard to find things with the word "Greensboro" on them. The posters are on sale at Reconsidered Goods. Look in the section with frames and prints- midway back on the left of the store, .

In doing a little more research about lovegreensboro, we found the group began in 2012, with the first online reference through Fox8, posted 9/3, 2012. The article, was entitled, " 'Love Greensboro' group wants to make city better." According to the article, the group was comprised of community leaders, business owners, and volunteers. They worked to bring people together to make Greensboro better and it was open to anyone interested. "Better" seems to have centered around expanding visibility of all the city has to offer, beyond Elm Street. The last post on their Facebook page was 2018, so we're concluding that the organization was viable for about 6 years. There may be a few posters left, if you are interested. We're wondering who designed and printed it. 

Happy Tuesday! For Christians, today is Shrove Tuesday. For revelers, Mardi Gras and Carnaval are in full swing!

#ReconsideredGoods #RG #DGSO

 

The Wednesday Lecture Club

Greensboro Daily Photo had the pleasure of speaking to the Wednesday Lecture Club last week. The Wednesday Lecture Club is a group of women who gather to learn about timely topics while socializing over lunch. The group was organized in the late 1930s by a group of friends who attended Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. Soon, friends from other churches were invited to join the new club. We learned from a News & Record article that, in 1942,  Roy L. Morgan of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, told members of the club of the activities of the agency when they met with Mrs. W.J. Carter at her home on Sunset Drive (reference).  This is an example of the type of programs they offer. A recent speaker was a local author who talked about his book- the harrowing tale of an immigrant. Our program was a slide presentation about the fifteen year history of Greensboro Daily Photo.

Featured in the photo today are Linda Sutton, Program Chair (left); Bonnie McAlister, President (head table, back center in blue);  and other club members. The meeting was held at the Greensboro Country Club. The food was delicious, service outstanding, and the conversation engaging. It is easy to see why group members enjoy each other so much.  We did not miss the opportunity to take a photo to share with the Greensboro community. We were grateful to have been invited to speak and to learn more about the Wednesday Lecture Club! We felt it fitting to feature them on a Wednesday. 

Happy Wednesday!