Community Impact Coordinator – Youth Action Network

Community Impact Coordinator

Position Description

Santa Cruz County Youth Action Network

United Way of Santa Cruz County (UWSCC) was founded in 1941 and has decades of experience effectively bringing together multiple sectors to address some of our community’s most pressing social issues. Collectively, our initiatives reach well over 75,000 residents each year. From staffing the Santa Cruz County Children’s Network to co-founding and sustaining the now internationally recognized Go For Health collaborative to moving the county’s first Youth Violence Strategic Plan from planning to implementation, our focus is on multiple stakeholder engagement, collective community impact, accountability and results.

The United Way is seeking a 40 hour/week Community Impact Coordinator to staff and coordinate the activities of the Santa Cruz County Youth Action Network. The Youth Action Network is countywide community collaborative working to promote youth-wellbeing by connecting young people to resources and opportunities to create positive community change and elevate their voices in decision-making. YAN stemmed out of the Youth Violence Prevention Network and continues to focus on prevention efforts by prioritizing positive youth development frameworks, youth-adult partnerships and being culturally responsive.

Current prioritized issues and activities include: increasing youth voice and civic engagement within decision making countywide, operationalizing the Countywide Children and Youth Bill of Rights, increasing opportunities for youth to get involved with community based research with UC Santa Cruz, support increasing relationships between youth and adults, and connecting youth to meaningful opportunities within the community.

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

Program Coordination:

Provides administrative and support staffing for Youth Action Network (YAN).
Coordinates YAN Steering Committee Meetings and other meetings and events as assigned, including outreach, preparation and distribution of agendas, minutes, supporting documents and resource materials.
Prepares reports, presentations, documents and correspondence related to network activities.
Plans and coordinates community events related to the Youth Action Network’s goals and focus.
Oversees coordination of YAN interns and volunteers.
Assists the Community Impact team with other initiatives and supports UWSCC events as assigned.

Positive Youth Development & Youth Organizing:

Manage the creation and implementation of an overall plan for community outreach, youth development, and engagement
Develops strong partnership with the youth steering committee to co-create an inclusive environment for youth to leverage their voice and decision-making.
Continue to develop a youth leadership curriculum, resource bank and lesson planning to support the YAN Steering Committee.
Supports youth steering committee members in co-creating activities and projects for the Youth Action Network.
Assembles and provides relevant information and resources on the latest research and best practices in Positive Youth Development and Youth Organizing.
Works collaboratively with YAN program partners and youth to identify emerging needs for youth.

Community Engagement:

Network and foster positive, collaborative relationships with local organizations and community leaders
Develops and maintains close working relationships with a wide variety of public and private leaders and stakeholders, participates in recruiting new participants (including specific outreach and engagement of youth and communities most impacted) and maintains current database of participants
Work with YAN Steering Committee and other partners to increase participation and access to needed resources for youth leadership, civic engagement and connection.
Maintains a communications system to keep YAN partners and other stakeholders informed and engaged in YAN’s goals and objectives. Communication avenues include, but are not limited to, the YAN website, Facebook page and group page, Instagram, monthly newsletters, emails, calls and texts.
Represents YAN in meetings with groups and organizations for purposes of collecting information, recruiting participants and sharing YAN’s work.

Fund Development:

Gathers and provides information about grant opportunities, provides information for grant proposals, monitors current grants and prepares grant reports & funder presentations.
Assists in budget preparation and expense tracking.
Collaborates with the Resource Development Team to support program funding.

Core Competencies for all UWSCC Staff

Mission Focused: Catalyze others’ commitment to the mission to create real social
change that leads to better lives and healthier communities. This drives their performance and professional motivations.
Relationship-Oriented: Understands that people come before processes and is astute in cultivating and managing relationships toward a common goal.
Collaborator: Understands the roles and contributions of all sectors of the community and can mobilize resources (financial and human) through meaningful engagement
Results Driven: Dedicated to shared and measurable goals for the common good: creating, resourcing, scaling and leveraging strategies and innovations for broad investment and impact
Brand Steward: Steward of the brand and understands his/her role in growing and protecting the reputation and results of the greater network.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Behaviors reflect a belief that individuals from diverse backgrounds lead to a more successful organization.
Educates oneself about DEI issues within the organization and community.
Demonstrates a willingness to become aware of and address one’s own implicit biases.
Deliberately works to include individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in efforts both internally and externally as appropriate.
Identifies and integrates the tools and resources needed to create more equitable environments.

Attributes of a Successful Candidate: Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

Bilingual in Spanish and English (preferred but not required); bi-cultural proficiency.
Strong commitment to social justice and community-driven organizing.
3-5 years of experience in community organizing, youth development, and/or project management preferred.
Demonstrated work with youth (teens) from an empowerment and equitable perspective.
Experience in community organizing and community group engagement.
Proven track record of organizing, prioritization, and meeting deadlines.
Effective oral and written communication skills.
Proficient in professional report writing.
Collaborative approach with diverse community partners.
Creative, professional, and adaptable mindset.
Comfortable in dynamic and changing environments.
Strong relationship-building skills, both independently and collaboratively.
Skilled in diverse community member and leader communication.
Quick learner of new systems and skills.
Proficient in various media platforms and social media management.
Microsoft Office and Google Suites proficiency and experience working with Canva

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent combination of employment and education experience.

Physical Requirements

Position requires sitting and using a computer keyboard and screen for long periods of time; moderate physical activity including walking, stooping, bending, reaching and carrying objects up to 25 lbs; must possess a valid CA driver’s license and provide reliable personal transportation with mileage reimbursed at current IRS rates.

Salary & Benefits

Hourly range $22.00 – $25.00. Benefits after one full month of employment include: health and dental insurance; employer contribution to employee’s 403(b) retirement account; and vacation, holiday, and sick leave policies. The United Way of Santa Cruz County is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.

Accepting applicants until position is filled

To Apply: The application process includes two parts:

Part 1: Application Submission Email your resume, cover letter, list of references and the interactive prompt below to pvelazquez@unitedwaysc.org with the subject line “Youth Action Network Coordinator Application.”

Part 2: Youth-Led Interview Chosen applicants will participate in an interview led by our youth leaders, offering insight into our youth-centered approach.

Application Deadline: Submit your application for Part 1 by December 1, 2023. The position will be listed until filled.

Email: pvelazquez@unitedwaysc.org

(Word or .PDF format only)

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Interactive Prompt: Youth Meeting Planning – Topic: Discovering Personal Strengths

As the Youth Action Network coordinator, one of your key responsibilities is helping young individuals realize and utilize their strengths. In this scenario, you’ll plan a youth meeting to empower participants by exploring and celebrating their unique abilities and assets.

Prompt: Imagine you’re in charge of organizing a two-hour youth meeting for a group of 10-15 participants aged 14-18. The central theme of this meeting is to help them discover and appreciate their strengths and assets. As part of your planning, you will provide a detailed agenda for the meeting. Please respond to the following:

Meeting Agenda (Include an agenda for the entire meeting):
Introduction: Welcoming participants, introducing the meeting’s theme, and explaining the objectives.
Energizing Icebreaker: Describe the icebreaker activity and its purpose in engaging participants.
Strengths Discovery Activity: Outline the activity you would use to help participants identify their strengths.
Feedback and Reflection: Explain how feedback will be collected and the importance of reflection.

Your response should provide a comprehensive plan for the youth meeting, including the agenda, activity descriptions, and time allocations. This prompt allows you to showcase your ability to create an empowering and supportive environment that helps young individuals recognize and build on their assets while also demonstrating your organizational skills in agenda preparation.