AURORA, Colo. — The once-shut down Paris Elementary School in Aurora is now open again but this time with a new purpose. Last year, the school district went through a process of talking to community members to try and figure out what the school will be next.
Denver7 got a first look and spoke with a group of community leaders who are responsible for opening the doors of the once-closed school once again.
"We are at Paris Elementary School, which is being repurposed into a community hub rooted in social determinants of health with the ABC Collective," said Dr. Janiece Mackey with Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism.
Over the summer, the once-quiet hallways of Paris Elementary came back with new life.
"We moved in June 3. We then had a visionary opening June 5, as well as a Healing FLAMES conference, and then we had a Social Sciences and Policy Institute and our Summer of Activism program. So we've had young folks in here every single day all summer," Mackey said.
When Paris Elementary closed its doors, Mackey along with the ABC Collective, started the process to try and use the school, and having to go against other community organizations.
"And so I was like, 'Hey, would you all like to go after this together?' Right? And they were like, 'Yeah, we need space too.' And so hence, the birth of the ABC collective, and we applied together in order to submit a proposal," Mackey said.
With keys officially in hand, it allows people like Daniel Sampson of Driven By Our Ambitionsto start cultivating spaces to help the youth.
"Mental health and wellness, the big emphasis here, have spaces and cultivating spaces that allow them to be their authentic selves. So we have a space set up for them to be around a music studio, a fashion studio, to embrace those outlets, to open and be willing to express themselves," Sampson said.
Daniel explained that spaces like the barbershop in the building won’t be used for cutting hair but instead a space for healing through open and honest conversations.
"They need to be recognized that they are of value and they are appreciated and we have outlets that meet them for where they can be the lead," Sampson said.
The resources for those young and old in Aurora at Paris Elementary do not stop there.
"The goal here is to be able to provide programs to the community, to students and families. We center a lot of our work around Tai Chi and wellness in general. And so we look to be able to utilize this space to engage the immediate community and Aurora in general," Pos Ryant said, a member of Apprentice of Peace Youth Organization.
Ryant understands the importance of not only helping the little ones, but also remembering the impact Paris Elementary left in the community.
With the space now officially in new hands, the leaders that Denver7 spoke with feel like the sky is the limit.