“Why is a program like MOSAIC so important in today’s world?”
Garden State MOSAIC has a significant and essential role in today’s world for numerous reasons. MOSAIC encourages tolerance and acceptance of others, community building, public speaking, and leadership. In a world, and more specifically a country, where the media and culture is spreading misconceptions about people of different religions and ethnicities, MOSAIC retaliates to this upsurge in negative media by promoting positivity and acceptance amongst students of various religious backgrounds. The program unites students and invites them to learn about each other and to accept and celebrate their differences. Furthermore, because MOSAIC faith presentations are done by friends and peers, they are immensely more effective than reading a book or taking a class because the information is conveyed by actual members of that faith in a way that everyone will understand.
Another important facet of MOSAIC is that students learn to develop public speaking and leadership skills. These skills are essential because as technology becomes more and more common in society, teenagers are losing communication skills because the need to have face to face communication has decreased. Students are encouraged to speak up about common issues and to be leaders in the community. It is important to disconnect occasionally and be able to express oneself in a safe and friendly environment, which MOSAIC provides. Furthermore, not only do the faith presentations benefit the listeners, but also the presenters because they have the chance to express their way of life and gain more self-confidence.
Community service is another aspect of MOSAIC and it is crucial in teaching students to give back to their local community. This program takes community service to the next level because these projects are planned and organized by MOSAIC students, who are able to found their service projects on issues they find important and are passionate about. Moreover, this process is a great learning experience because members learn how to plan and coordinate events so that they run smoothly and effectively.
Personally, I have grown in MOSAIC because I have gained more confidence in myself and I am more comfortable speaking up about what is important as well as standing in front of a crowd. Additionally, I have been given the opportunity to learn more about my peers and when I am out in the real world I am able to better understand people coming from different religious backgrounds. Through this program I have met new people and made lasting friendships, and most importantly, I found a welcoming family. MOSAIC has taught me that although we all are different and have unique qualities, we can all be united and we can learn to accept and love each other for our differences.
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