In Colorado, a statewide movement is reimagining education through community-centered leadership. The Institute for Educational Leadership, (IEL), has been a critical partner in supporting the state’s growing Community Schools strategy.
Cultivating Leadership for Systems Change
At the foundation of IEL’s impact lies its commitment to growing authentic leaders. This leadership is not positional; it is relational, rooted in values, and cultivated over time.
Shannon Allen’s journey offers a clear example. First introduced to IEL during graduate school, Shannon joined Colorado’s Education Policy Fellowship ProgramTM (EPFP) in 2018. There, she developed technical policy knowledge and the foundation for durable professional relationships that still fuel her work today. Her leadership has since evolved through mentorship from IEL staff including Christa Rowland, a Regional Director at IEL.
“I have become far more open to collaborative and shared leadership structures,” Shannon shared. “I’m a more authentic and relational trainer as a result of learning from Christa’s guidance and example.” Today, Shannon works for the Colorado Department of Education.
Her story is echoed by the Senior Director of United for Schools at Mile High United Way, Katie Wilberding-Cross, who began her journey with little knowledge of Community Schools and now co-leads a statewide coalition.
Through IEL’s support, both leaders have transitioned from learners to mentors, showing how IEL doesn’t just develop policy knowledge, it grows transformative, networked leadership.
Building and Sustaining Statewide Coalitions
The rise of the Colorado Coalition for Community Schools (Colorado Coalition) is one of the clearest testaments to IEL’s long-term, systems-focused impact. What began as an informal dialogue among a few committed advocates has evolved into a structured, strategically aligned coalition that is advancing a shared vision for education across the state. This transformation did not happen spontaneously, it was designed and nurtured by local advocates who were guided and supported through IEL’s deep partnership.
From Idea to Infrastructure
In 2023, Christa Rowland facilitated intentional connections between Community School champions across Colorado, including individuals like Shannon Allen and Katie Wilberding-Cross. IEL did more than introduce them. It helped frame their collective work within a broader movement, providing a framework for leadership and collaboration.
This coalition-building effort is centered not only on bringing people together but co-creating purpose and process. IEL supported the development of the Colorado Coalition’s foundational elements, including:
- A shared definition of Community Schools and their role in educational equity.
- A coalition governance structure emphasizing shared leadership and representation from diverse roles and regions.
- A strategic plan focused on capacity-building, statewide policy influence, and local implementation support.
IEL’s approach ensured that Colorado’s efforts weren’t built in isolation but were grounded in national best practices while staying responsive to Colorado’s unique landscape.
A Culture of Collaboration and Care
Beyond logistics, IEL’s greatest contribution has been shaping the Colorado Coalition’s culture. Instead of transactional engagement, the Colorado Coalition’s interactions reflect a deeper commitment to shared power, authentic relationship-building, and collective problem-solving, which mirrors IEL’s own internal culture and values.
Shannon describes Christa as an “anchor” in coalition meetings, someone who models and reinforces purpose, ensures inclusive participation, and brings in learning from other states to keep momentum alive. The Colorado Coalition has become a learning hub and organizing body, sustaining energy through consistent dialogue, adaptive strategy, and precise alignment with local champions.
“The support that Christa has provided to Colorado’s Coalition for Community Schools has led to the development and maintenance of a statewide coalition,” Shannon emphasized. “We would not have the active participation or progress we have had over the last two years without her mentorship and active engagement.”
Results That Ripple Outward
Today, the Colorado Coalition for Community Schools is not just a network. It’s a driver of change. Local advocates in the coalition have:
- Expanded membership to include leaders from school districts, nonprofits, state agencies, and community partners.
- Increased visibility of the Community Schools strategy at statewide convenings and in policy conversations, often in collaboration with IEL.
- Delivered training and technical assistance alongside IEL to districts exploring or implementing Community Schools.
Importantly, the Colorado Coalition now functions as a collective voice advocating for the systemic support and funding Community Schools need to thrive. This level of cohesion, strategic clarity, and influence is rare in coalition work, and it reflects the deep, behind-the-scenes role IEL plays as a weaver of relationships, infrastructure, and possibility.
Delivering Contextualized, Relational Support
At the heart of IEL’s impact in Colorado lies a philosophy distinguishing its work from traditional technical assistance: support must be contextualized, human-centered, and anchored in relationships. IEL does not parachute in with ready-made solutions. Instead, it embeds itself in the local context, listens deeply, and co-constructs strategies with partners. This method is what gives IEL its transformative edge.
Rather than offering prescriptive blueprints, IEL takes time to understand the unique policy landscape, the lived experiences of education leaders, and the specific histories of the communities it works with. In Colorado, this approach has proven to be catalytic. Stakeholders across the state describe IEL as an organization that listens first, before proposing interventions, convening partners, or suggesting frameworks.
This commitment to relational infrastructure was especially evident in the experience of the Senior Director of United for Schools at Mile High United Way, Katie Wilberding-Cross, who highlighted the deeply personalized nature of IEL’s support:
“The technical assistance we receive isn’t cut and paste from another context. Christa has genuinely gotten to know the key players, champions, and policies in our state to inform her work with us.”
That familiarity wasn’t accidental; it was the product of consistent, intentional engagement. Christa made a concerted effort to immerse herself in Colorado’s educational landscape. She met with Colorado Coalition members, engaged in dialogue with district and state leaders, and synthesized policy trends and political dynamics. This allowed IEL to offer strategic guidance that was not only informed by national expertise but also deeply attuned to local realities.
Trust as a Tool for Transformation
One of the most profound outcomes of this tailored approach has been the trust that IEL has built among diverse stakeholders, from state-level leaders to local practitioners. Trust, in this case, became the currency that enabled sensitive conversations, cross-sector collaboration, and long-term alignment.
Because IEL was seen not as an outside consultant but as a collaborative thought partner, it was able to help Colorado Coalition members and system leaders navigate challenging conversations around implementation, equity, and scale. This trust enabled IEL to facilitate:
- Co-designed Community School training sessions, where both IEL and Colorado leaders shared facilitation roles, blending national insight with local expertise.
- Peer-to-peer mentorship, where IEL helped coalition members learn from each other rather than depending solely on external expertise.
- Adaptable planning support, where IEL’s tools and frameworks were continuously revised in response to feedback from Colorado stakeholders.
- The result was a more resilient and adaptable implementation effort, with stakeholders across levels, from school staff to policymakers, feeling ownership of the strategy.
A Model for Meaningful Implementation
IEL’s contextualized support helped bridge the gap between theory and practice. It didn’t just raise awareness of the Community Schools strategy but created the conditions necessary for meaningful, scalable implementation. As a result of IEL’s partnership:
- District leaders and CDE staff became more confident facilitators of the Community Schools framework.
- Community members were invited into conversations earlier and more often, deepening engagement.
- Strategic planning for the coalition reflects a shared commitment to equity, local leadership, and continuous learning.
In essence, IEL supported the emergence of a transformational relationship, one where technical assistance became a conduit for systems change and relational trust became the foundation for strategic clarity. This approach reflects a core tenet of IEL’s ethos: leadership development and systems transformation must start with context, be rooted in humility, and be built on authentic human connection.
Bridging Local Work to National Movements
While IEL’s presence in Colorado is deeply localized and personal, its impact is amplified through its role as a national convener of ideas, people, and movements. Through events, networks, and peer learning platforms, IEL has created spaces where Colorado leaders not only learn from others but also contribute to a broader national dialogue on educational equity and transformation.
The National Community Schools and Family Engagement (CSxFE) Conference and the State Coalitions Network have been particularly pivotal in this regard.
The Mile High United Way leader described her first experience with IEL as a turning point. After attending the Community School Leadership Network convening in Asheville, NC, in 2022, she returned to Colorado energized and equipped with new ideas for coalition-building and strategic planning. Since then, she’s remained engaged in IEL’s offerings and become a contributor.
“I presented at the national conference last year and plan to do so again this year,” she shared. “The national conference is always such a rich time to engage in deep learning, meaningful networking, and spend time with folks from our state to strategize our work for the year ahead.”
IEL’s national gatherings aren’t just about presentations. They design labs for practitioners, funders, policymakers, and advocates to wrestle with complex challenges, explore innovations, and deepen their understanding of the Community Schools strategy. These events make visible the breadth of the movement while honoring the specificity of each local context.
These spaces are also a site of professional contribution and strategic leverage. Shannon Allen participated in the national CSxFE gatherings in both 2023 and 2024 and co-led state-level breakout conversations, helping elevate Colorado’s experiences and lessons learned for others to adopt and adapt.
Beyond conferences, IEL’s national Research Practice Network and Leadership Networks help ensure that Colorado’s strategies are not developed in isolation. Coalition leaders regularly exchange tools, troubleshoot implementation hurdles, and explore policy alignment with peers from other states. These relationships build resilience and reduce the isolation that often accompanies systems change work.
“The networking power of IEL has allowed me to connect with other United Ways and important Community School leaders across the country,” the United Way leader emphasized. “These networks have been an incredible support in terms of finding solutions to difficult situations and simply knowing we aren’t alone in this important work.”
This dual positioning, deep local work, paired with national insight, has become a defining strength of IEL’s model. It helps Colorado leaders anticipate challenges experienced in other states, adopt promising practices, and build political will with the backing of a national movement. IEL ensures that innovations from one corner of the country can travel, adapted and grounded, to another.
In short, IEL turns Colorado’s local progress into part of a collective story, and that collective story, in turn, strengthens Colorado’s next steps. The result is a feedback loop of learning, growth, and inspiration, where local leaders are empowered not just by their context but by a national community that shares their values and vision.