By Tiffany Brazda

What if you could try on a firefighter uniform, look under the hood of a car, and pick up a hammer all in one space?

That’s exactly what Go! Global Youth Summit will offer its attendees on May 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at CHI Health Convention Center.

At the summit, students aged 14 to 21 will get the opportunity to interact with professionals from various industries and engage in hands-on activities spanning a wide range of careers. The Simple Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people from diverse backgrounds, is set to introduce the Experience Lab - an interactive career fair designed to help youth explore various career and internship opportunities.

“The reason why we started the GO! Summit is to find a creative way to be able to bridge youth to careers,” said Osuman Issaka, president and CEO of The Simple Foundation.

Issaka said having candid conversations with potential employers and schools allows youth to identify a career path they can see themselves pursuing.

“It’s easy for kids to identify what they don’t want to do versus what they want to do,” he said. “So when they figure out what they don’t want to do, we’re engaging and exposing them to other career paths.”

The Experience Lab will primarily concentrate on trade and vocational positions while showcasing opportunities in health care, entrepreneurship, media, marketing, creative fields, retail, hospitality, and service industries.

“I hope students identify one or two careers they think they want to explore,” Issaka said. “This is just not the Global Summit connecting them to careers, but we have a second piece of giving them these opportunities during the summer to be able to do an internship or externship.”

Issaka said the foundation is currently working with the school districts to invite middle and high schools. With 400 in attendance during its inaugural year, the Go! Global Youth Summit anticipates attendance to grow to 500 this year.

In addition to a strong lineup of local companies, the summit will feature inspiring guests including:

-Daniel Goodwin, Groom Services

-Brooke Boston, Boston School of Cosmetology

-Jeff Massey, TrezenBold

-Daesha Turnbo, The Dae Spa

-Jennifer Aguayo, J&M Goldant Professional Dental Assistant Program

-Vernetta Kosalka, University of Nebraska at Lincoln

-KB Mensah, Visionary Youth

-Tashiara Wilson, Kochava Coffee

-Depree Seavers, Black Power Redevelopers

For more information about Go! Global Youth Summit or to register, click here.