The boys2MEN (b2M) Leadership Summit—an 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— will take place June 22-28 on the CU Boulder campus.
Developed through a partnership between the Crowley Foundation and CU Boulder, the summit began in 2015 and takes 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 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 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.
“This is an important partnership for our campus because it allows us to engage the broader community and provide resources for students to empower themselves,” said Chris Pacheco, executive director of precollege outreach and engagement in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement (ODECE). “Through programs like this, youth develop individual strengths and realize their full potential. It’s 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 Sr., founder and executive director of the Crowley Foundation, said the university has given the leadership summit “the autonomy to be creative in our planning” by supporting the foundation’s themes and visions.
“The 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—which is why it’s imperative that we work with CU Boulder.”
This year’s summit theme is "Save a Thousand," a reference to the program’s 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.
“We 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,” 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.”
The Crowley Foundation has chapters in Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.
