Budgetary Shortfalls Births an Irving Village

"Why close our schools?" Shock permeated the room. Weeping parents and students shared in disbelief as eight neighborhood schools were closed by the local board of education. They fell victim to budgetary shortfalls. The Irving Villiage Initiative led by Delia Armstrong Busby and other engaged community is born soon after the flurry of school shutdowns subsides.
The first wave of vocal participants in community meetings on school closure is teachers. Why did the school close? "We raised the test scores." "We strengthened instruction." Make the nonsensical make sense.
The next wave of meetings brought the ideas. "What about a vocational training center?" A hub if you will.
Pastor queried, what about a community garden? He suggested too, cradle to grave services in this "village- Irving Village.
Soon, a trek to the state capital in Denver bolstered the ideas for the village. Business leaders from the vocations-plumbing, electricity, construction ensue. Labor union leaders join the group as well. "Let's update the job preparations" they ask. Hence the word greening is introduced to the conversation. The talk turns to the environmental consciousness now leading the construction of wind driven energy sources. Now conversation turns to the needed preparation for green jobs.
In the spirit of true grassroots activism, the committee created an RFP for partnering with the school district to re purpose the now defunct middle school as a vocational hub with an inter generational center also to be housed on the campus. The plan visioned a regional vocational hub supporting a cradle to grave service center for the neighborhood community. A childcare center, non profit services and even a senior citizen's band could find a space in the Irving Village.
Recently, the school district's board of directors tasked the administration to start to incorporate the grassroots Irving Village initiative into a fully developed district plan for future implementation pending funding.
In the face of budget shortfalls, it is important for the community to stay engaged. Indeed, community can actively push the shifting paradigm to empower its own needs.
Weather the emotional waves fueled by change. Vision with fellow villagers to reconstitute the present for a new future. Remember the chaos precedes new social and economic norming. Each community can birth its own Irving Village Concept over time.
http://deliabusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/three-plans-one-goal-more-vocational.html