SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- The Hampden District Attorney’s office will host its 10th annual Hoop Up Springfield at American International College on Monday. The day-long event is aimed at connecting young people with job and education opportunities.

Approximately 200 young people, ages 11 to 18, will participate in hands-on experiences throughout the day. The Hampden District Attorney’s office partners with AIC to give kids a day on campus with access to education and job resources. “It’s definitely grown over the years, which shows the success of the program and the fact that it’s in its tenth year, I think, shows the impact that this program has,” said AIC President Nicolle Cestero.

Cestero said the event is a great way to get everyone on campus involved because kids in the program spend time with current AIC students and athletes. “So they get to see, talk to, work out with, do drills with students that come from very similar backgrounds and have made it to higher education and so I think that that’s really important for younger generation to see and be able to connect to,” she added.

Monday’s event includes a basketball tournament, a job fair, a tour of the college’s athletic facilities, and a chance to learn about college opportunities.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said the event has allowed them to have a positive impact on thousands of people across the region. A big part of the event is helping kids to set up summer jobs with 16 different businesses in attendance. “That an employer like Big Y or an employer like Six Flags might be a multi-year, career-long engagement for these young people at such an early age,” he explained. “But it could be something that changes their lives, right…AIC might be a place that sparks an interest and they say, ‘This is a place I want to spend four years when I graduate high school.’”

Through community partnership, Hoop Up Springfield gives youth the tools to build their futures.

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