Green Jobs Youth Development Coordinator

OVERVIEW OF POSITION

The Green Jobs Youth Development program is a positive youth development program that provides opportunities for urban teenagers in New Haven. This position recruits and leads up to 12 paid teenage interns to create and initiate service projects to improve the environment in their public housing neighborhood.  Projects will include gardening, landscaping, trail maintenance and others they envision as a team.  Regular opportunities for outdoor leadership, hands-on environmental education, job skills and personal development and goal setting opportunities are included. This program provides inner-city youth with positive supports and challenging opportunities to understand, appreciate, and ultimately affect change in their local environment, all while building the skills and motivations to become confident, capable individuals prepared for the future. 

Our youth reside in New Haven’s low income communities. Faced with incredible challenges such as poverty, crime, and violence in their neighborhoods, they have few positive supports and rarely encounter opportunities to succeed. Through our neighborhood-based programs, youth explore their environment, learn the skills and joys of being agents of positive change, and teach what they have learned to others (Kids Explore! Kids Do! Kids Teach!). 

THE POSITION

We are looking for someone with a passion for youth development who has the skills and personality to effectively serve young people facing major life challenges. 

The Green Jobs Coordinator recruits and leads teen interns, providing them with opportunities for outdoor leadership, hands-on environmental education, job skills, personal development and goal setting. Green Jobs staff must be creative problem solvers, see a setback as a challenge, and love working with teenagers.

The program runs after-school (generally 3-6pm) 3-4 days per week during spring season (March - June), and may be extended to a full-day program in the summer (July - August)

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS and RESPONSIBILITIES

• COORDINATE daily program for up to 12 teens 
• SUPPORT youth in the design and implementation of Community Service Action Projects, such as landscaping, carpentry, community clean-ups, and trail maintenance 
• DEMONSTRATE AND COACH youth on important employability skills (professionalism, punctuality, time management, excellence etc.)
• SERVE as motivator, mentor and supervisor for youth
• LEAD youth in outdoor recreational activities, team building initiatives, and leadership development
• PLAN, DEVELOP, AND LEAD engaging and empowering educational  lessons,  activities, and projects
• DEVELOP and MAINTAIN community partnerships, resources, funding, and opportunities for teens
• DEVELOP, MAINTAIN, and RECORD, REVIEW program content, curriculum, and data

QUALIFICATIONS and EXPERIENCE

• ENTHUSIASM about the Mission of Solar Youth: energetic about advocating for and supporting youth, particularly Black youth, through high-quality programs, and excited about being a representative of Solar Youth to the community.
• EXPERIENCE working with inner city and low income youth
• SELF-MOTIVATION, flexibility, and patience
• Ability to MOTIVATE urban teenagers and serve as positive role model
• EXPERIENCE in professional landscaping, gardening, and/or urban forestry or farming 
• OPENNESS nonviolent communication; prior experience preferred
• PROBLEM SOLVING skills and INITIATIVE
• ADMINISTRATION, ORGANIZATION, and TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE 
• 21+ years of age with a clean driving record 
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ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• START DATE: Immediately
• LOCATION: (IN-PERSON) New Haven, CT 
• PAY: $18 -$25 per/hour
• HOURS: allotted up to 40 hrs per week; July 3 - August 4th. Schedule to be determined by ED and GJYD Coordinator. 
• part-time, temporary; some evenings and weekends required
• Longevity:  Possibility of extending into year round position depending on funding availability
• Candidates can expect a phone call, zoom, and/or in-person interview.