From the beginning of the MIRA initiative, the Texas Cluster has viewed technology as away to reach sustainable objectives of developing human capital and creating sustainable development. Technology is one way to break the isolation in which this community has existed.
Effective communication is a skill practiced from the beginning and honed as the workshops progressed. During the early summer months, organizers began recruiting people for community teams. In starting such a venture, organizers made phone calls to family and friends. Most gave excuses for not participating. According to one team organizer: "Getting people involved was like asking for rain in south Texas during the summer." This same person later mentioned that he appreciated the experience he gained as a member of the MIRA Trainer Selection Committee.
The first workshop set the tone for the MIRA experience. One community member said about the first workshop, "It was a lot of fun and very interesting. It was a great opportunity for us to meet new people and practice communication skills." According to many participants, the first workshop trainer Nette Nelson was energetic and well prepared. Several attendees of the first workshop said they learned valuable skills that they could apply to their everyday lives.
For the team from La Villa, the first workshop spoke to the spirit of volunteerism; people desired to serve. The impact on young people especially impressed the team. One La Villa resident said, "Our youth have so much to offer, and it is obvious that the MIRA project promises to be an outlet for the input."
The conflict resolution and group processing workshop received high marks, as well. In fact, each of the six workshops were learning experiences for members Texas Cluster. During recent tension for one community team, skills had to be employed to get the group back on track. The team leader said, "We as a group thought back to each workshop, reviewed our notes to see how we could begin handling this problem. We were able to take something from each workshop and apply it to our situation."
The technical demonstration team has had a positive impact on workshop participants. Besides planning their own team project, they have prepared
and presented a demonstration on the use of technology at each workshop. At the La Villa workshop, they offered three concurrent sessions:
1) A presentation of the south Texas web site; 2) An introduction to e-mail; and 3) Basic computer skills.
