Level Up Conference Sets Young Adults up for Success

The day began with Ben Obomanu, Seahawks Legend, taking the stage in front of nearly 150 young adults, YMCA staff, and community partners to kick off Level Up. “You all are the most important people here, and your life experiences are your strengths,” he remarked to the young adults. With that, young adults spread throughout the building to attend workshops, fix up their resumes, and get their hair cut.

For three years, Accelerator YMCA has organized Level Up, a full-day, immersive experience for young adults to get ready for the upcoming year, gain resources and employment, and learn life skills. Over the past three years the event has gotten steadily bigger and featured more resources for participants to take advantage of, thanks to the support of Delta Air Lines and WorkSource. This year, there were workshops ranging from Cooking Basics to Starting a Successful Business, nine community partner organizations, seven post-secondary institutions, and 22 employers all filling the 2100 Building, home of Accelerator YMCA’s Young Adult Drop-In Resource Center, for this one-day conference. 

After enjoying lunch and a special ice cream truck treat, young adults headed to the resource, education, and hiring fairs. One employer excitedly mused to Accelerator YMCA staff during the hiring fair, “There is a positive energy in the room, from employers and participants. People seem amped to be here!”

Although Level Up is only one day in a year, there are long-lasting impacts that will continue to live on: multiple participants were hired on the spot, networking and connections were made professionally and socially, and a vibrant mural of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the newly renovated Center for Young Adults was completed, painted by Level Up. Watch Video