Program Assistant - Madera

Youth Leadership Institute (yli) builds communities where young people and their adult allies
come together to create positive community change that promotes social justice and racial
equity. For over 20 years the Youth Leadership Institute has sparked the leadership of young
people to solve pressing social issues and serve our communities. yli’s community-based
programs are located in San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Merced and the Central Valley, Long
Beach, and the Eastern Coachella Valley. In addition to serving 7 California counties, yli
provides customized trainings, consulting, evaluation, and technical assistance services
nationally.

yli is committed to engaging and developing young people of color, low-income youth, and other non-traditional youth as researchers, advocates, and agents of social change. With support from yli staff and through authentic partnerships with other key adult allies, young people build the skills necessary to research the issues that most affect them and their communities, develop campaigns to advocate for change, and partner with local stakeholders to implement these changes in their respective communities.

PRIMARY FUNCTION
The REP 559 Program Assistant (PA) works in partnership with yli staff and youth (ages 14 –
24) to organize, empower and mobilize youth and their communities to create concrete
improvements for Madera County young people. The PA will support youth leaders to develop
and deepen political consciousness, assess and understand issues impacting their health and
well being, build relationships and partnerships with youth and community supporters, and drive countywide and local community campaigns that mobilize supporters, create long- term systems and/or policy change, and build power for future victories.

The Program Assistant is responsible for supporting the Program Coordinator and Program
Managers in logistics and functional tasks necessary for meeting the goals and objectives of the assigned campaigns, and for ensuring that the young people are experiencing high quality and culturally relevant leadership opportunities. The Program Assistant will work to support overall Madera County campaigns initiatives, prepare appropriate materials, collaborate with
community partners, and assist in training youth leaders and partners.

Redefining Equity through Policy (REP 559) is a power-building and organizing program for
young people of color interested in advocating for social justice and racial equity in their
communities. The key elements of the program are:

• Transportation
• Community Health
• Restorative Healing
• Leadership Training
• Implementing Campaigns
• Climate and Economic Justice
  

REP 559 leans into the yli model and responds to shifts in youth organizing across the Central
Valley region and beyond by deepening shared decision-making between youth and adult allies
in all program stages, from recruitment to program design, to defining roles and positions, to
crafting and implementing campaigns that weave together racial justice, school justice,
environmental justice, health justice.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Recruitment, Outreach, and Promotion
   1. Support in conducting outreach to recruit and attract dynamic and diverse team
      of youth leaders and adult leaders
   2. With support from Program Manager, produce appealing and relevant materials,
      and outreach materials
   3. Attend program meetings as needed and set up a network
2. High-Quality Relationships with Youth and Adult Participants
   1. Utilize positive youth development and youth-adult partnership principles to guide
      the work
   2. Represent YLI to networks and community in a professional way
   3. Develop relationships with local leaders, youth, and decision makers
3. Program Leadership and Logistical Functions
   1. With support from Program Manager, co-facilitate developmentally appropriate
      and engaging workshops and training that build leadership and organizing skills,
      deepen issue and community knowledge, and strengthen connections among
      members, as well as spark transformation that leads to impactful advocacy
   2. Support youth leaders to develop and implement youth-led campaigns that offer multiple youth leadership development opportunities
   3. Support logistics: Plan and arrange meetings and events, including preparing sites, agendas, and materials
   4. Conduct follow-up activities after meetings and events including: preparation and distribution of minutes and other records, carrying out tasks assigned at the meeting
4. Campaign Development and Implementation
   1. Employ social media tools as a method to organize youth base
   2. Develop the capacity of youth and adults to facilitate youth-led community level data gathering and analysis in support of campaign actions
   3. Support coordination of key campaign events, like rallies, assemblies, press conferences or legislative hearings as needed
   4. Attend City Council and County Board of Supervisor meetings as needed during campaigns.
5. Reporting and Record Keeping
   1. Keep accurate, current records of participant demographics
   2. Maintain event summary and monthly records of activities
6. Stay informed about local issues, trends, and opportunities in the field
   1. Scan local and state list serves and websites
   2. Bring issues and opportunities to the attention of supervisors and share knowledge and resources with staff

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in youth development
• Commitment to social justice, public health, and community organizing as strategies to affect change
• Experience facilitating youth-driven campaigns or projects
• Experience with social media and media relations
• Willingness work with youth and adults from communities of color and low-income communities
• Strong written and verbal communications skills
• Excellent follow-through skills; detail-oriented, organized, professional
• Able to work some evenings and weekends
• Able to work in a fast-paced, multifaceted environment
• Computer literate in Mac Platform; proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and Google Applications
• Capacity to be self-motivated
• Commitment to YLI’s values of community, inclusion, innovation, and social justice
• Bilingual/Bicultural a plus
  

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with mentorship of youth or youth leadership development
• Experience training and providing assistance to youth and adult leaders
• Knowledge of Madera County neighborhoods and communities very helpful
• Familiarity with social media as a tool for organizing and advocacy
• Preferred access to a personal vehicle and clean driving record