Genyne Edwards, Program Director | Tel 414.801.6167 | Fax 414.875.0881 | eingenuity@gmail.com
Greetings Mosaic Family!
Welcome to our first edition of Mosaic Milwaukee E-News! We have been working behind the scenes to develop an electronic newsletter that we hope shares interesting and important news about the Milwaukee Mosaic Program with partners, alumni and friends. We intend to communicate with you several times during the 9-month program year. Our goal is to keep you as informed and connected as possible. In the future, please look forward to seeing interesting partner profiles, features, program updates and information on upcoming events. If you have questions about the e-newsletter or are not interested in receiving these newsletters, please contact Mosaic Program Director, Genyne Edwards at 414-801-6167.
We're off to a great start!
Last year Mosaic had 228 participants. In September, we launched our second program year with an additional 218 community leaders participating in the opening reception and orientation.
Participants have now experienced the first two of seven Cluster Group Gatherings. It is very exciting to observe and hear about the social interaction that is transpiring at these gatherings. In addition, some of you speak about the interconnectedness of personal and professional networks that is already beginning to form as a result of the one-on-one partner meetings.
As the second Mosaic class gets underway, our in-house storyteller, Sheila Leahy of SAL Consulting, shared some insight into what this year's class is expecting from the program.
"This is a motivated group who expect that Mosaic will offer real opportunities to effect change on the racial divide in the city. This point is brought into focus by one respondent who expects to find, 'A group of individuals who agree that the only way for our work to get better is for us to join together to work for it; rather than waiting for someone else to do it.'
They also want to learn from each other and teach each other about racial differences and similarities. They want to learn about other people's cultures, they want to better understand the life experiences and struggles of others outside their normal frame of reference. They expect that Mosaic will help them move beyond their mono-ethnic circles and force them to step out of their comfort zones.
Some expect that Mosaic will provide an opportunity to teach. They believe that some people have racial misconceptions that perpetuate racial divide. Through Mosaic, they hope that they can correct misconceptions about other races, but also present an accurate perspective. As one respondent put it, 'I'm hoping that by participating in this program I will be able to help give better insight and perspective to life as a Black person and thus make Milwaukee a better place for all to live.'
Many respondents expect to leave Mosaic with something. For many, that something is simply new friends. A notable handful of respondents report that they are relatively new to Milwaukee, and they believe that Mosaic is a way for them to meet more people and get to know their new city. Many others want to leave Mosaic with new business contacts and expanded social networks — and thereby enhance their professional and social capital."
Hello Mosaic Alumni!
Thanks again for your willingness to participate in the inaugural Mosaic group. You remain an important ingredient in the Mosaic "mix" and we appreciate you continuing to be ambassadors for the program.
One hundred percent of those of you who completed the exit survey said that you were willing to share your contact information with others in the program. We will be delivering an electronic copy of your classes' information soon. If you have a different mailing address, a change of email address or would not like your information shared, please let us know as soon as possible.
Moving forward, we want to continue to hear from you to know more about what's happening with your cluster and partners. Have you interacted with your Mosaic partner or cluster since the program ended? Are you and your partner working on a project together as a result of Mosaic? We'd like to know.
An electronic survey will be emailed to the 2006 Alumni class within the next week. This survey will give us a chance to learn more about the program's overall impact and the integration of social networks. Thank you in advance for completing the survey.
2007-2008 Mosaic Coaches
Under the leadership and direction of Master Coaches June Perry and John Fitzgerald, this year's volunteer coaches continue to be the backbone of the program. Their cooperation and enthusiasm to lead the cluster group discussions, which provide another means to cultivate relationships, is evident. We'd like to thank them for their ongoing commitment to the program.
Here's a list of our 2007-2008 Mosaic Coaches!
Martha Barry
Rick Broniec
George Ann Casper*
Beth Conradson Cleary
Ginny Finn
Janet Fitch
John Fitzgerald
Ylonda Glover
Tracy Johnson
Ossie Kendrix*
Dan Lococo
Kathy Munson
Shawn Perrin
June Perry
Bob Pietrykowski
Frances Pitt*
Charisse Sekyi
Avera Sinclair
Rodney Spencer
LaCrecia Thomson
Barbara E. White
David Wolfson
*Denotes second year serving as a volunteer coach
Mosaic Mid Year Event! - Save the Date - January 24, 2008; 6-8 pm.
Hyatt Regency Milwaukee
Please be sure to save the date for our 2nd Mosaic Mid-Year Celebration, which will be held on January 24, 2008 from 6-8pm at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee.
The mid-year celebration is designed to further strengthen the relationships among the program participants and provides the perfect opportunity for participants to hear partner stories and network with other community leaders in this year's program. Last year, we had a blast!
An electronic invitation requesting your RSVP will be emailed to this year's participants during the week of December 31st. We look forward to seeing you on January 24th!
Share Your Mosaic "Ah Ha" Moments
We would like to hear more about your experience and observations. Beyond the Relationship Inventory survey, your anecdotal narratives help us understand how your relationships are evolving and most importantly, how you are personally evolving. Knowing about the incremental changes in your Mosaic relationships and how you are applying the lessons learned from the experience allows us to determine the effectiveness of the program.
If you and your partner are willing to share, we would love to hear from you. Your conversations and stories will remain anonymous. Storyteller Sheila Leahy can be reached at 847-735-1616 or salcon@concentric.net. Do you have any issues or concerns about the program that you would like to communicate? Would you like to discuss issues that arise with your partner, coach or cluster? Please don't hesitate contacting the Program Director Genyne Edwards at 414-801-6167 or eingenuity@gmail.com.
The management team and Advisory Committee operate under a confidentiality policy that is intended to preserve the confidential nature of information provided to us during the program. Please let us know if any problems arise during your nine-month journey. The success of our program is built on openness, respect and trust.
Milwaukee Mosaic Partnerships
Genyne Edwards, Program Director | T 414.801.6167 | F 414.875.0881 | eingenuity@gmail.com