St. Louis Mosaic Project June News

Welcome to St. Louis

Happy Summer!

This issue is full of examples of how we invite foreign-born newcomers to be part of our communities in large and small ways. Offering a helping hand to someone searching for professional connections; supporting a local immigrant-owned business; scheduling virtual get-togethers -- each go a long way in easing an immigrant's transition to their new city.

The International Institute's time-honored Festival of Nations kicks off this month with engaging and informative activities built around the theme of "Bridging Cultures, Inspiring Action."

We love the sound of that! Read on for examples and suggestions of how to get involved and/or support the building of a more inclusive region.

Warmly,

Betsy, Suzanne and Bomi

Join Us in Celebrating Belonging

Mosaic is a proud member of Welcoming America, a nonprofit leading a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by ensuring everyone belongs, including immigrants. Every year, Welcoming America encourages its members to celebrate the values that unite us as neighbors and colleagues, and to make our region more welcoming to all those who call St. Louis home, during Welcoming Week which this year is September 10-19. The week's theme is Belonging Begins With Us.

We are in full planning mode! That means we'll begin reaching out to you -- our trusted network of community, academic and corporate partners -- to encourage you to get involved, host events, offering programming or highlight your commitment to fostering belonging for everyone.

Mosaic will aggregate ALL of the activities into an easy-to-navigate, online portal and then share the portal across social and traditional media -- and with participating partners -- to amplify our region's collective welcoming spirit!

Want to get involved but not sure what you or your organization can do? We've got you covered with dozens of ideas and social media assets to support your efforts. Watch for information coming soon to your inbox. In the meantime, click the link below for more background and event examples. If you can't wait to get started, like us, email Mosaic's Senior Program Manager, Suzanne Sierra, to begin planning - ssierra@worldtradecenter-stl.com. We hope you'll join us in showcasing how our region is a place where everyone belongs.

Welcoming Week Toolkit

International Institute’s

Festival of Nations

Bridging Cultures, Inspiring Action

June 19-August 29, 2021

The International Institute kicked off its Festival of Nations (FoN) celebration appropriately on June 19th, World Refugee Day, with a small in-person gathering that included refugee stories, arts, international music and cuisine. Between now and the end of August, the Institute will offer virtual and in-person activities, including:

Weekly virtual speaker series designed to engage community stakeholders around the subject of inclusion with a new topic each week, featuring local leaders. Mondays 11-12pm.

International Pop-Up Dinner - Wednesdays, beginning June 23

4:30 – 6 pm at the Institute

Commerce Bank Last Friday International Concert Series -

June 25, July 30, and August 27

Watch our Facebook page for ongoing updates of FoN activities or click the link below and bookmark for easy reference.

Festival of Nations Schedule

Thank you, ambassadors!

We are so thankful for our wonderful Mosaic Ambassadors- individuals who are committed to helping St. Louis become more globally welcoming! In this last year alone, you have served as zoom pals to lonely international students in St. Louis who were isolated due to shelter-in-place restrictions, helped foreign-born job seekers refine resumes, provided language assistance and supported immigrant businesses. THANK YOU for stepping up! Your involvement embodies the welcoming spirit we seek to foster.

Would you like to provide feedback to inform our future outreach and programming? Please take a minute to fill out the survey by clicking the link below, and you'll receive a token of our appreciation in the mail.

If you're new to Mosaic and interested in volunteering as an Ambassador (or know others who would like to) check out our suggested activities and sign up.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts in our survey -- your opinion matters!