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Greensboro is so lucky to have twenty teacher leaders visiting from 18 different countries for the next six weeks. They are here through the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This is the fourth year that UNCG has hosted this program. It is a partnership between the Global Engagement Office, the School of Education, and the Guilford County Schools. UNCG is one of only four U.S. universities nationally selected to implement the fall Fulbright TEA Program.

The international teachers are here to learn about the American education system and to share their expertise in American classrooms where  they will have an opportunity to co-teach. They are participating in many social and cultural activities, and will even have an opportunity to spend a weekend in local homes.  This past weekend many in the cohort attended the North Carolina Folk Festival.

Counties represented are: Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, India, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.

Happy Tuesday!

Well, the North Carolina Folk Festival 2025 has concluded and it appears to have been a big success. To be sure, the weather was very accommodating and seemed to have encouraged attendance. We look forward to seeing the numbers early reports from attendees are that the crowds were good. 

The above photo was taken on East Washington Street, across from the  J. Douglas Depot where there was a performance stage, food trucks, and plenty of seating. This area also intersected with the Church Street Marketplace where vendors had their pottery, tie dye, jewelry, handmade and marbled paper, political dolls, and more. We selected this photo, because it really got us thinking about the fact that Greensboro really is close to the center of North Carolina. Recall, this is also the gateway city for trains.

According to "the Internet" the actual geographic center of North Carolina is the town of Star in Montgomery County. If you look on a map, it is just under  50 miles due south of Greensboro. So, while we are the true east/west center, we are about 47 minutes north of the center! But, don't you think that sign is lovely, with the cluster of business district buildings?! Of course, we try to feature the Jefferson Standard/Jefferson Pilot/Lincoln Financial Group building on a regular basis.

Happy Monday!  

Wesley Memorial Methodist Church is located in High Point, NC at 1225 Chestnut Drive, just down the road from High Point Central. It was founded in 1856, three years before the City of High Point. Then, it would have been a rural church when originally built on Washington Street. While it has gone through different locations, names,  and buildings, what has remained the same is the vibrancy of the congregation. The church is known for its architecture and stained glass windows. This side view only hints at the size and beauty of the architecture. One only has to attend a meeting, sermon, or event invite to know just how expansive and beautiful the church is. 

The stained glass windows depict a wealth of Biblical history, so much so that they are featured in a book about their symbolism in a book entitled, "Christian Faith in Art and Symbol."  We hope to take a tour of the windows to learn about their symbolism, after reading the book (downloadable HERE). While GDP focuses on Greensboro, when we get a chance to explore other corners of Guilford County, we love to share all that is available in our county. In addition to church services, mission work, and the many ministries of the church,  the facility is used by the community for everything from the High Point, Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast to their well-respected pre-school to groups like Delta Kappa Gamma, a society for key women educators. It is well worth your time to visit this local treasure.

Happy Sunday!

The Folk Fest will be in full swing, again today. This photo was taken yesterday afternoon, in the first hour of the event. They are part of ETHNO USA, a group of approximately 30 from around the world (between the ages of 18-30) to do an 11-day residency with mentors. The global music gathering takes place at Haw River State Park. This is the gift year of this project and their residency culminates with MainStage performances at the NC Folk Festival. They will be performing all three days. We liken this experience to the Eastern Music Festival at Guilford College, a Greensboro tradition that was noticeably absent this year.

As we heard the group of people from so many different nationalities  perform yesterday, we were so impressed at how blended and harmonized the ensemble sounded. Individual performers would explain a little about the music the audience was about to hear, so it was very informative.  A global music gathering is the perfect way to bring people together, be it ETHNO USA, or the NC FOLK FESTIVAL! See you downtown!

Happy Saturday!

NORTH CAROLINA FOLK FESTIVAL 2025: It is that time again. The North Carolina Folk Festival is happening from today until Sunday. Festivities start today at 4:00 pm today and conclude on Sunday at 7:00 pm. The events are free and open to the public. Over the last couple of years, the footprint has shifted a little east, with the northernmost street being Lindsay Street, the southernmost, Wast Washington Street. the westernmost, Davie; and the easternmost, Church Street. Within this quadrant, there will be six stages. Most of the vendors will be located on Church Street. 

This is such a fun event and a time for Greensboro to shine as attendees and performers come from all over North Carolina and beyond. It looks like it will be a beautiful fall weekend. Please do your best to get out and support the festival. Also, as brick-and-mortar restaurants and businesses downtown remind us, please support them too. Their traffic tends to decrease significantly during this time. Put on your best walking shoes, or take a ride share,or get a friend to drop you off and pick you up. It will be well worth the effort. The NC makers and market space on Church Street is the perfect place to start your holiday shopping. Arrive early and at 4:15, see the opening ceremony at the NC by Train Stage at LeBauer Park!

See you downtown this afternoon!

See the map here.

Here is a link to the lineup!