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Boys Town Mayor Chris Brockenshire (center) bonds with Chicago youth and staff during a recent visit to Boys Town of Chicago. |
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Chicago Youth Connect with Boys Town Mayor
The Boys Town brotherhood showed its reach as well as its bond when Boys Town’s Mayor visited the windy city. Boys Town Mayor Chris Brockenshire met with fellow youth, toured the facility and met several staff members at Boys Town of Chicago during a recent visit.
“Having Chris visit the Chicago site gives the youth a connection to what’s happening in the organization and shows them a little bit more about Boys Town’s self-government system,” said Josette Heredia-Carmona, Boys Town of Chicago Program Director. “Seeing one of their peers in a leadership role also teaches kids how to advocate for themselves.”
As mayor, Brockenshire represents the more than 51,000 youth who receive help through Boys Town services each year. The mayor is elected by his fellow Boys Town citizens at the organization’s Home Campus at the Village of Boys Town in Nebraska. Father Edward J. Flanagan conceived the self-government system at the Village of Boys Town in 1926 as a tool for its citizens to build character, citizenship and a sense of community.
During his visit, Brockenshire spoke with one youth in particular who was interested in making the move to Boys Town’s Home Campus. The two related over common experiences and shared information about their respective programs. “I felt a sort of connection because he knew about all of the Boys Town skills and he was really into the program,” said Brockenshire. “You could tell he wasn’t just kind of there – he was honestly trying to get some help.”
“Both boys were very open about their experiences,” said Heredia-Carmona. “It’s always neat to see youth helping each other overcome challenges.” |
