THE HIGH POINT CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

New Site Highlights CVB’s Focus as a Regional Visitors Center 

               

 "The High Point Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a new website that’s chock full of useful information. The site, which can be found at www.highpoint.org, was created to meet the special needs of meeting planners, sports promoters, furniture shoppers and High Point residents as a great place to live.

                “Because of the extended reach of our Regional Visitors Center, we have information about High Point as well as attractions ranging from vineyard tours in the mountains, to happenings at the North Carolina Zoo, and festivals at Old Salem. The list of major attractions covers a 90-mile radius,” says Tim Mabe, president and CEO of the High Point CVB. “The site purposefully offers information for everyone from visitors coming to High Point for a few days to people who live in High Point who are looking for something to do here at home.”

New features include sections for:

·         Furniture Shoppers – Advice about how to shop by style, product and manufacturer along with details about how to connect with local interior designers and the services they offer. There is a complete listing of all 40 furniture stores and their websites including companies that can help plan a visit; some can offer access into some showrooms that are otherwise not accessible to the public. There is also a handy Furniture Buying Tips checklist.

·         Passport to Savings – Downloadable coupons for local restaurants, retail stores, and furniture attractions. 

·         Meeting Planners – Insight into a variety of facilities offered in High Point with details about extra services that are available.  The High Point CVB will walk hand-in-hand with all meeting planners from beginning to end to ensure that they have a positive experience while in High Point. A request for proposal (RFP) form is also offered.

·         Sporting Event Organizers – Details on all sporting facilities in the High Point area including information about available lighting for outdoor night games and seating capacity.

·         Visitors/Local Residents – An events calendar for High Point and the surrounding areas with details about local festivals, theatre, musical events and art openings. These include events like the High Point Cycling Classic, John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival, Arts Splash Summer Concert Series and the Piedmont Plein Air Paintout. 

                “The website is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate. Resources on the new website provide details for the local community to engage in what is right here in their backyard,” says Mabe. “The same reasons why High Point is a great place to live also make it a great place to visit.”

                Other areas of interest on the site include an expanded Preferred Member program, highlighting local businesses that are committed to providing a high level of quality and service, visible partnerships with facilities across the region such as Triad Stage, and details about the High Point CVB’s Spotlight on Saturday events.

“Videos on the website provide additional insight, including a welcome video from High Point University President Nido Qubein,” Mabe says. “Other videos present interior design services, a look at local veterans’ memorials and African American history. Visitors can even download a printable brochure to use on the go.” 

About the High Point Convention & Visitors Bureau:

            The High Point Convention & Visitors Bureau (HPCVB) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote and encourage economic development in High Point through travel and tourism. The CVB works closely with meeting planners to bring events to High Point and to enhance their experience here, providing white glove assistance with event planning tasks including registration, transportation, and coordination among various venues. These services ensure that every group event will be successful down to the last detail because we want each visitor to make yourself at home. Established by state legislation in 1984, the HPCVB is an independent 501(c) 6 nonprofit organization funded by a self-imposed three percent room occupancy tax on local hotels. No taxpayer funds — city, county or state—are used to fund the HPCVB. The new Visitors Center is located at 1634 N. Main St., Suite 102, High Point, N.C. For more information, visit www.highpoint.org."

- A Press Release

Books Published by HPU Professor Help Teachers with Common Core

DR. SHIRLEY DISSELER

"Dr. Shirley Disseler, assistant professor of elementary, middle grades and STEM in the School of Education at High Point University, recently published two books on how to teach elementary Common Core math.

The two-book series, “Shirley Disseler’s Strategies and Activities for Common Core Math Grades 3-5,” provides creative approaches for teachers to use in their classrooms. The strategies and activities are aimed at helping students develop a solid understanding of math concepts and use them in their daily lives.

The books include easy-to-follow instructions for teachers, reproducible student materials, answer sheets and activities that align with the Common Core Standards. Disseler says the activities in the books offer a hands-on perspective to math in a game-like format that helps motivate and engage students.

“Elementary students are good at ‘doing’ math, but they do not ‘know’ mathematics. To be successful, they need to be able to adequately do and know math,” Disseler says. “The only way to make this happen is with relevancy – problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration – which are all 21^st century skills.”

The books also provide assistance to teachers in the form of strategies for teaching the Common Core Standards, which were first introduced in North Carolina classrooms in 2012 – 2013 school year. Disseler says teachers need more professional development to make the standards successful.

“The challenge is that the demands on teachers to teach to the test has taken away the creativity and engagement in the classrooms for students,” she says. “Common Core requires students to participate in active learning by doing and applying their knowledge. Teachers have not had the amount of professional development needed to make Common Core a success. No model of curriculum standards will be effective in raising achievement levels or bridging gaps without quality teacher training and materials.”

The books are published by Compass Publishing.

Disseler spent 17 years teaching and working on curriculum development in public schools before joining the HPU faculty. During that time she was named a state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching of Mathematics and Science, The Hornets award for Excellence in Teaching, The Malibu Teaching Award, Time Magazine Teaching Excellence Top 18 Teachers Award and was honored as a Time Warner Cable Star Teacher. She is also the chairperson of the Global LEGO Education Advisory Panel’s (LEAP) Board, which is a select group of educators from around the world who discusses potential products for LEGO that can be used as educational tools in classrooms.

At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students. It is ranked No.1 by U.S. News and World Report in three categories: No. 1 Best Regional College in the South; No. 1 Up and Coming School in Regional Colleges in the South; and No. 1 for A Strong Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching in Regional Colleges in the South. HPU was named this year the No. 4 private school in NC for the best return on investment, and it is a 2013-14 College of Distinction. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 43 undergraduate minors and 11 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu."

A Press Release