HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- In an effort to educate community members on local military missions and connect families with Purple Star Schools representatives, Hill Aerospace Museum joined forces with the Davis County School District to host an open house Aug. 16.
More than 1,700 people attended the event, which featured information booths from 18 Hill Air Force Base and partner units and 24 Purple Star schools. Purple Star is a state program that supports military-connected children and goes above and beyond to provide smooth transitions for military families.
Francesca Suarez, military family advocate for the school district, said the event was a “grand success.”
“All the feedback we received was positive and indicate we did something right,” she said. “One of the most powerful statements was from a student who said ‘I didn't want to come and now i don't want to leave.’”
Suarez worked with Raelyn Embleton, the museum’s director of education, to put on the event. Embleton said it was an opportunity to not only highlight the base and schools, but also Project One, a base initiative that aims to build connections with the local school communities and educate them on the Hill AFB missions and people.
“Our goal was to create a space where families could interact with Hill in a way that was positive and uplifting,” Embleton said. “Even individuals who are military connected are often unfamiliar with Hill Air Force Base and so we wanted to provide a unique opportunity to not only learn about the base but also interact with school and district representatives.”
Embleton said community members and school representatives said it was worth their time and they plan to host the event again next year.