In an effort to increase and improve communications between Falcon School District 49 and the community in the districtís Falcon Zone, a team of community members created the Falcon Zone Coalition about two years ago.Karen Hobson, one of the founding members of the coalition and an employee at Falcon Middle School, said the coalition is made up of representatives from the zoneís schools, local businesses and the community. ìWe work together to build the community, strengthen our schools and support our students,î she said.The Falcon Zone Coalition was part of an initiative started by the zoneís former leader, Julia Roark, Hobson said. ìShe wanted to help our schools better connect with the community in the Falcon Zone, in part by trying to connect with families who did not have kids in school anymore, businesses and the Falcon Zone community as a whole,î she said.Roark unexpectedly passed away following a traffic accident on Woodmen Road in April 2017; and the current zone leader, Sue Holmes, has picked up where Roark left off, Hobson said.Jennifer Johnson, a founding member of the coalition, said she wanted to create the coalition because she felt the district only connected with her when they wanted her to vote on something. She liked the idea of orchestrating a way to bring the entire Falcon Zone community together.Johnson, who also is a leader of the districtís Peak Partners Leadership Academy, said two years later, the coalition is still trying to hash out how to meet its goals.ìWe are trying to combine what we are doing in the leadership academy to grow volunteers and connect them with our zone coalition to reach the community better,î she said.According to the D 49 website, the PPLA is ìan opportunity to learn about being a community leader, and being able to use their leadership skills at work and in their community. Itís an opportunity for an in-depth exploration of District 49ís organization and educational programs, inside and beyond the classroom, and its potential as a leader in public education.îIn the coming months, Johnson said the community can expect to see the Falcon Zone Coalition reach out to businesses. ìWe will be saying, ëHelp us help you,íî she said. ìWe want the businesses to tell us what they need to communicate, collaborate and cooperate with us.îWith that mission in mind, Hobson said the coalition is ready to start making progress on tangible things like student internship opportunities with local businesses and ways that businesses can sponsor and support the schools.ìWe want this to be a true partnership,î Hobson said.
