The boys2MEN (b2M) Leadership Summit鈥攁n annual precollege leadership program created to empower and inspire young men to become leaders in their communities through higher education, entrepreneurship and other avenues of their choice鈥� will take place June 22-28 on the CU Boulder campus.
Developed through a partnership between the , the summit began in 2015 and takes听place on campus every summer. This year, dozens of high school and college-age men from across the Denver metro area will participate in empowerment sessions, health and wellness workshops, and leadership听and teambuilding experiences designed to foster mentoring and enhance professional skills.
Over time, the program has grown to include a variety of engaging activities, such as the CU Challenge Course Experience and instruction from community leaders. An important piece of the program is paired brotherhoods, built-in mentorship from b2M graduates, which听focus on personal and professional balance, and strengthening family connections. The intent is to support participants on their paths toward community leadership, self-realization and the pursuit of postsecondary education.
鈥淭his is an important partnership for our campus because it allows us to engage the broader community and provide resources for students to empower themselves,鈥� said Chris Pacheco, executive director of precollege outreach and engagement in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement (ODECE). 鈥淭hrough programs like this, youth develop individual strengths and realize their full potential. It鈥檚 a great example of the meaningful precollegiate outreach the university has fostered over the years through longstanding collaboration with community partners such as the Crowley Foundation."
Kenneth D. Crowley听Sr., founder and executive director of the Crowley Foundation, said the university听has given the leadership summit 鈥渢he autonomy to be creative in our planning鈥� by supporting the foundation鈥檚 themes and visions.
鈥淭he boys2MEN Leadership Summit is beneficial to our young men," he said. "The disparities that plague our communities are oftentimes due to a lack of community support, immediate resources and partnerships鈥攚hich is why it鈥檚 imperative that we work with CU Boulder.鈥�
This year鈥檚 summit theme is ","听a reference to the program鈥檚 efforts to encourage participants to go back to their communities and foster positive impacts on a thousand other young men who might be facing challenges in towns and cities across the state.
鈥淲e are forever grateful for this relationship, but most importantly, for the lasting friendships created over the years and the hundreds of lives that we have impacted together,鈥� he said. "The Crowley Foundation is a big advocate of paying it forward. We value supporting the development of the boys2MEN youth who are empowering themselves to become future leaders.鈥�
The Crowley Foundation has chapters in Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.
