Chicago is the city of the moment. Following the politicial coment the is the US President-Elect, the scenes from Chicago on the night of the election have brought this city into the spotlight. In Galway, there has long been a synergy between Chicago and Galway, which was formalised in 1997 when the two became twinned cites.
NUI Galway has now partnered with the ‘Chicago Irish Project’, an initiative designed to improve the quality of life for Irish-born older adults living in the Chicago metropolitan area. Students from NUI Galway’s M.A. in Social Work will be offered the opportunity to carry out their work placement in Chicago, supporting older Irish people who may be vulnerable, feel isolated or live alone.
The metropolitan Chicago area is home to a very vibrant group of Irish born older adults who are dedicated to the preservation and celebration of their Irish heritage in America. While the most visible older adults benefit from social networks formed through existing cultural centers, the growing concern is for the unmet needs of older people who may have limited mobility, or may have lost those social connections.
For the students and hopefully the older Irish living there, Chicago is the city of the moment, in more ways than one.
