In Mosaic Program, We Grow Together

Gusu School youth proudly show their artwork from Mosaic 

When I tell people that I am spending this summer working on interfaith programming for youth, they often say the same thing: “Wow, that must be really challenging right now!” When I tell them that Interfaith Philadelphia’s Mosaic Summer Program is a free interfaith summer initiative for middle schoolers, they look at me like I have three eyes. I get the instinct, in a world that feels more divided by the day, the Mosaic program feels like one of a kind. 

Mosaic is special—not only because it's a free program at a time of record-shattering childcare costs—but because its goal is to bring together diverse groups of young people to help them learn about the many different cultures in their city. 

This June, we held two week-long programs: one in North Philadelphia at Gesu School and one in South Philadelphia at the Aquinas Center. In July, we offered Mosaic in East Lansdowne at Vision Academy Charter School. 

For each session, we invited presenters to speak about their traditions and held space for kids to talk about their faiths, cultures, and experiences. I found the students to be incredibly open to learning more about others and through that, they learned more about themselves. 

A presentation on the Lutheran traditions of confirmation and baptism fostered deeper conversations about students' personal experiences with baptisms, confirmations, and similar practices within their own faith traditions. A presentation on the Jewish custom of Shabbat inspired them to ask me questions about my experience with Judaism. 

These young people were not only open to learning about new religions but also incredibly eager. However, they often seemed unsure where to begin. Through the program, we equipped them with an interfaith tool kit, our Passport to Understanding. The Mosaic program incorporates the Passport to Understanding curriculum to introduce middle school students to interfaith interaction. It is central to Interfaith Philadelphia's approach to cultivating understanding. On each day of Mosaic, we explored one of the Passport themes: Welcome In, Stand Tall, Stand With, Be Curious, and Venture Out. 

We also incorporated different hands-on activities that aligned with the day’s theme. Writing an “I am From” poem about their identity taught youth to Stand Tall. Making a “life map” helped them see where they had already Ventured Out and plotted a plan to do it again. Guessing games encouraged them to Be Curious, and Jeopardy games helped to build background knowledge for interfaith action. 

The Passport to Understanding is the backbone of Mosaic, but the heart is our overarching project —painting a tree. Students received 24’ by 30’ canvases and access to paint in every color. They worked on their paintings for at least 45 minutes each day. We asked the students to incorporate a special element into their paintings—maybe make the leaves out of fingerprints, butterflies, or flowers—but we left it up to them. 

By the end of the program, I was so impressed by the differences in each creation. Some students painted cherry blossoms, sunsets, or fields of flowers, while others added text, hand prints, or butterflies. Ultimately, every student brought home a tree they should be proud of.

Each tree was as unique as the student who created it, yet together they formed a vibrant community forest.

Blog written by Zev Zentner