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The Main Perspective

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, WIE partnered with The Main Perspective in producing eight (8) podcasts where we dug deep into what has been happening with race and culture — primarily with Women of Color and Men who enter into this conversation as “The Champions.” We discussed how the pandemic plays a role in uncovering deeply rooted racism.  Are we All in this Together? Some of our special guests include Joan Zimmerman, Nicole Dean, Janet LaBar, Astrid Chirinos)

GMAD Mentees On The Go

The Mentee's and Mentors of the Garinger Mentoring Across Difference program had the opportunity to attend the African Fashion Exhibit at the Randolph Road Mint Museum on April 10, 2019. The exhibit offered insight into rich African cultures through fashion. With bright fabrics and ornate trims, participants learned how various styles and materials signify social status, hobbies and can also be quite functional.

"It's a celebration," said Annie Carlano, Senior Curator of Craft, Design and Fashion at the Mint Museum. "It's self-expression and communication, as it has always been, through cloth and fashion. It's communicating to the world who you are, what you think, what you believe through what you wear. Who is with you and what he or she is wearing is often orchestrated-like families all wearing the same clothes for rites of passage or important social occasions. To see photos of the exhibit CLICK HERE.

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Personal Development Workshop - ME 2.0

Our GMAD mentees are in for another great year. We’ve hosted mixer events to help mentors and mentees get acquainted, and we supplemented this year’s program with a four-part Personal Development workshop series called  “ME 2.0”,  that kicked off February 21^st at Garinger High School.  ME 2.0 was tailored for our girls by one of our mentors, life coach and author, Deidra Parrish Williams of Hollisder House. Once a month through May, the girls will participate in an interactive experience designed to provide them tools and perspectives for planning and decision-making in all areas of their lives.

“As most of us grown-ups know, life requires life skills. The earlier we can help you develop those skills and put them in your toolbox, the more prepared you’ll be to build the kind of life you’ll be proud of,” Ms. Parrish Williams said to the group in the first module, “The Story of You.”  

WIE members, Dorothy Counts Scoggins, Donna Parker Tate, Brittenay Caussieestko-Lee and Lashanda Millner Murphy were on hand for the workshop. Ms Parker Tate remarked; “One of the girls hugged me when the workshop was over. I can see that this is going to help us get to know the girls better and build stronger relationships with them.”

The girls were encouraged to share highlights of the day with their mentors so feel free to ask prompt them. You can ask questions like: What are the two kinds of “perspective”? What is the prefrontal cortex and what role does it play? What are your long- and short-term goals, and what choices will help you attain them?

The workshop ended with a closing thought from Ms. Parrish Williams that brought the discussion a perfect close: “Every moment of every day, you’re the lead character in a scene within a chapter of a book that is The Story of You.  What happens next is up to you. You’re not just the lead character, you’re the author too.”

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GMAD Program Wins Mayor's Mentoring Alliance Award

On January 17th, the WIE Garinger Mentoring Across Difference (GMAD) program received the 2019 Grassroots Mentoring Organization of the Year Award presented by the Mayor's Mentoring Alliance.

The Mayor's Mentoring Alliance Awards recognizes the extraordinary impact mentorship has on our community.  As some of you may know, the Mayor's Mentoring Alliance educates mentoring organizations about best practices and mentoring standards, ignites impactful and enduring mentor-mentee relationships and connects Charlotte's mentoring community.

WIE Board Chair, Kaniche Bennett, expressed her appreciation,  "Thank you to our very own Dorothy (Dot) Counts, Donna Parker-Tate, Tara Hammons, Stephanie Counts, and Sandra James for the magnificent work done throughout 2018 and we can't wait to see what is in store for 2019! Thanks for your commitment to our mentees and their continued personal and educational development".  

Thanks to Mentor Erin Barbee, Director of Mission Advancement at Aldersgate United Methodist Retirement Community for nominating WIE for this recognition. 

GMAD Mentors and Mentees Visit Hezekiah Alexander Museum

To kickoff 2019 on MLK Jr. Day, the mentors and mentees of WIE GMAD program visited the museum and homesite of Hezekiah Alexander.  This Revolutionary War-era home is located on the grounds of the Charlotte Museum of History. Built in 1774, this two-story stone house is the oldest surviving structure in Mecklenburg County and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.