Empowering Student Advocates

The EmPOWER Youth Summit brings together high school students from across the Omaha Metro for a day focused on mental wellness, resilience, and hope. The goal of the summit is for students to leave feeling informed, supported, and better equipped to advocate for themselves and others.

The agenda will include:

• Keynote Foster Huggins – podcaster and international speaker who will share his powerful message of hope, resilience, and the reminder that our lives are worth living.
• Resource Fair featuring dozens of youth-serving organizations from across the Metro
• Breakout Sessions focused on empowering youth with tools to support mental wellbeing, manage stress and anxiety, navigate peer relationships, and seek support for themselves or others
• Live Podcast Recording with keynote Foster Huggins featuring a local panel focused on mental health awareness, normalizing help-seeking, and recognizing when additional support may be needed

This event is free to all schools and attendees. The summit is funded by The Kim Foundation and many generous community sponsors. Lunch, snacks, and an event t-shirt are included!

Registration Now Open!

All Metro Area high schools are invited to bring up to 20 students to the summit along with at least two school chaperones. Student attendees must be registered by their schools.

High Schools: Register Here

Note: We have a specific EmPOWER Youth Summit parental permission form that will need to be completed for each student who attends. School chaperones will turn in the signed forms upon arrival on March 26th. Click here for EmPOWER Youth Summit Parent Permission Form
Students who arrive without a signed permission slip will not be allowed to participate.

Sponsorships & Vendor Booths

Learn more about our sponsor levels and benefits by viewing our downloadable sponsorship and booth form. Contact Sidney Spencer with any questions.

Downloadable Sponsorship Form

Meet Our Keynote

Foster Huggins is an international speaker and mental health advocate who brings a powerful, personal perspective to the conversation. After losing his best friend to suicide, Foster transformed grief into purpose, using his story of resilience to inspire meaningful dialogue and connection. As the owner of the Underwater Flyzone store and podcast, he uses his platform to encourage honest conversations about mental health, ensuring audiences leave feeling inspired, empowered, and reminded that their life is worth living.

Questions about registering for the EmPOWER Youth Summit? Please contact our director of community engagement, Molly Woodman.

All other questions regarding the EmPOWER Youth Summit can be directed to our director of events and stewardship, Sidney Spencer.