Daily Inspiration: Meet Linda Mora

Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Mora.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
I am not your typical artist, but I would say creativity is one of my strengths and that what I am best at is creating environments where people get to be creative and build vibrant communities. I love people and love creating opportunities for people to become connected and make the world a better place. I became involved with the Fenton Arts Council when I was the Early Childhood Director and principal at Fenton area Public Schools World of Wonder Early Learning Center. I am an early childhood specialist who also has a degree in art. Part of my 40-year career journey included learning about and becoming passionate about the Reggio Emilia Approach or Reggio-Inspired Philosophy of Early Childhood Education. This is the approach I adopted for World of Wonder. All of the principles of this approach deeply spoke to me and touched my heart as the way children deserve to be educated. They have also impacted who I am today and are still principles that guide my life. The first and foremost principle is “The Image of the Child” as capable, competent, and creative. The child is respected as the center of learning process. Teachers are partners in the children’s learning process, and the environment is viewed as the third teacher. The Reggio Emilia Approach emphasizes creativity, collaborations, and community. There is no set curriculum; as an alternative, children’s expression through art activities is supported and encouraged. Once we adopted this curriculum and mindset, it was a natural for us to seek out community partners to form relationships with. The Fenton Arts Council and Kiwanis Club of Fenton were two of those partnerships. When I retired from the Fenton Schools in 2022, I realized I would have a big transition to make. After 40 years in early childhood education, I knew this transition would require an act of transcendence or act of moving beyond my ordinary state. I also knew that I wanted this transcendence to include the mantra of Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach: “Nothing without joy.” I choose to pursue activities that allow me to use my passions to find purpose and bring joy. With this in mind, I decided I would continue with my involvement with the. Fenton Arts Council and the Kiwanis Club of Fenton. With these two groups, I could support my love for children and art. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I had planned on taking some time to make the adjustment to my retirement—-relax and recuperate. I did not plan on stepping so soon into the role of the art council president, but when I was asked to take over for the president of more than 20 years, I felt I needed to answer her call. The Fenton Arts Council is an ambitious group made up of all volunteers and a small group of board members who are primarily responsible for the work. Each year, the council applies for grant funding to accomplish its mission- “Creating, Supporting and Promoting all forms of Art and Culture in our Community.” For the past few years, they have been awarded the Greater Flint Arts Council’s Share Art Genesee Grant. FAC uses these grant funds to create its “Arts Are The Heart” projects. For 2023, there are 11 planned AATH projects. The biggest project was a “Celebration of the Arts to commorate the 25th Anniversary of the Fenton Arts Council. (See a list of the projects in the uploaded photos.) 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I touched on some of this in my first response. Although I have always loved the arts and actually pursued an art major in college, my first love and greatest passion has always been working with and for the welfare of young children. I spent all of my 40-year career in early childhood education. For 25 years, I taught kindergarten and young fives, and then the last 14 years, as an early childhood specialist and as the Early Childhood Director and Principal for World of Wonder Early Learning Center. I believe what I am most proud of is having the opportunity to create my vision for what early childhood should be in creating and building World of Wonder, or WoW, as it is known. At World of Wonder, I was the administrator of Young Fives, preschool, both tuition and GSRP (Great Start Readiness Program, Michigan’s state-funded preschool for 4-year-olds), Early Childhood Special Education, Child Care, and Parent-Childhood Programs. I loved that as our district’s early childhood director, I had so much opportunities to be creative and to create programs. The programs I am most proud of and those that I feel have the most positive influence or impact are WoW’s Parent-Child Programs, JumpStart, and WonderWorks. It is here that families come with their birth to 5 children. JumpStart and WonderWorks are unique in that they provide for families to come with their children for playgroups, community trips, family fun events, and parent education opportunities all five days of the week. With the support of our local United Way, we were able to offer this programming to families of all income levels. It is here that parents and grandparents come to form relationships, friendships, and support systems. It is my belief that this sets a foundation for a healthy and thriving community. I will forever be proud of my involvement and influence on these programs. 

After my retirement from the Fenton Area Public Schools, I was invited to be a guest of honor at the Fenton Education Foundation’s Black Tie Awards Dinner. There, I was presented with the Nancy and Edward Petruska Lifetime Achievement in Education Award. On my award plaque was written: “World of Wonder was a reimagining of what school could and should be for young minds. It set a standard for creative and fun learning. Your 36 years of excellence in education is a service that few achieve.” I was very proud to be recognized for my life’s work. 

Since my retirement, I have stayed active and have found ways to impact the lives of children and families through my work with the Fenton Arts Council and the Kiwanis Club of Fenton. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child, and one community at a time. This mission statement is well aligned with my personal mission. I am also very excited about my selection by Save the Children as one of Michigan’s SCAN national volunteers and advocates. SCAN stands for Save the Children Action. Network. SCAN was created to be the political voice for kids. It works to build bipartisan support to make sure every child has a strong start in life. It does this by advocating for high-quality early learning, ending child hunger in the U.S., and educating and protecting kids around the world. In July, I will join other SCAN advocates for a three-day Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. We will be advocating for support of the MINDS Act, which would prioritize mental health and psychological support within U.S. foreign assistance. We will also advocate for the Farm Bill, which authorizes most federal food and agriculture programs in the U.S. and U.S. food assistance to other countries. 

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Under my leadership, FAC has launched a new “Patrons of the Arts” initiative so that individuals or businesses can offer their financial support to help us with our mission of “Creating, Supporting and Promoting all forms of Art and Culture in our Community.” We are always seeking new members and Community Partners to help us with our mission. We also are always open to any ideas that anyone wishes to share with us. 

We would also love people to attend our events or volunteer to help with our projects. 

Pricing:

• FAC Annual Membership is $20

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fentonartscouncil.com
• Instagram: Fenton_arts_council
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Fenton.Arts.Council
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fentonartscouncil9333/videos

Image Credits
HSP Imaging Inc.