Youth Voice Coordinator

About Fresh Lifelines for Youth

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is an award-winning nonprofit working to break the cycle of juvenile violence, crime, and incarceration. In twenty years of this work, FLY has supported tens of thousands of young people impacted by the justice system. FLY is at a critical juncture in our evolution: adding to a long history of success providing impactful intervention and prevention programs for young people, we understand that the pipeline-to-prison is a series of systems, structures and practices that suppress the ability of young people of color and other marginalized young people to thrive. We’ve set an audacious goal to do something about it: by 2030, through partnering with young people, communities, and systems, FLY will contribute to the fight for equity and justice by taking concrete steps to dismantle California’s pipeline to prison, equip 30,000 juvenile-justice and at-risk youth to transform their lives, and strengthen services for marginalized youth in California and beyond. More info at: www.flyprogram.org.

Department Summary:

This position is housed in the Youth Voice Department and in Alameda County. We envision the inclusion of youth voice as both a value of organizational culture and a vehicle of change in FLY’s IMAGINE 2030 plan. Young people will lead the process to elevate their voices authentically in a way that shapes and shifts institutional practices and policies to influence the system that has impacted them to be more effective, humane, and just. All youth who engage in Alameda County Youth Voice Initiatives will have the political education, skill sets, agency, and adult support to lean into their power and elevate their voices in their communities. FLY’s current Alameda County Youth Voice Initiatives includes the Alameda County Youth Advisory Council and the Oakland Public Safety Youth Leadership Council.

Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Overview: 

The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a collaborative effort between the Alameda County Probation Department and Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) to create systemic change through the inclusion of youth voices. The YAC will engage 12 paid youth council members ages 17-25 who have been impacted by the Juvenile Justice System and who have a passion to create systemic change. Youth will provide input and recommendations on current system processes, policies and practices and will be a part of key decision making that will positively impact youth directly impacted by the system. Council members will not only commit to the values of kindness, respect, determination, honesty, growth, integrity, and leadership but to also prioritize and uplift the voices of youth who are currently incarcerated. Youth will be supported through personal and professional development with one-on-one coaching, group support, and community partnerships. 

Oakland Public Safety Youth Leadership Council (OPS-YLC) Overview:

The Oakland Public Safety Youth Leadership Council (YLC) invests in youth leadership to keep our community safe; youth engage the community and educate decision makers on root causes of violence, while elevating youth voices to influence and impact public safety systems, practices, and policies to transform our community. The Council will include a cohort of Oakland youth ages 14-21 for an 8 month council term. Youth who have been impacted by violence, the juvenile justice system, and homelessness will be prioritized to join the council. Council members will receive stipends for all of their work in which they will meet bi weekly for Council meetings and will engage in weekly activities as liaisons to various Oakland Public Safety Departments. To support the youth’s leadership, youth will receive both training and coaching throughout their term. Youths’ council work will be determined by priorities set by youth and will align with community needs and partnership opportunities.To achieve the Oakland Public Safety Youth Leadership Council mission in pursuit of the vision, the YLC will honor and uphold the values of stability, acceptance, joy, and community. 

Position Summary:

The Youth Voice Coordinator will support Alameda County’s Youth Voice Initiatives which currently includes the Alameda County Youth Advisory Council and the Oakland Public Safety Youth Leadership Council. The coordinator’s time will be split evenly between both Councils. The Coordinator will be responsible for supporting key functions of the Councils to ensure the councils are operating effectively and efficiently in support of the youth leaders. The coordinator will report to a Council Manager and will work closely with other council staff. 

The ideal candidate is passionate about social and racial justice, youth leadership, systems change, and youth voice. They will demonstrate the ability to coordinate and manage various tasks and collaborative projects effectively. The candidate will have a connection to the Oakland and/or Alameda County community and will be familiar with juvenile justice and public safety issues. They will have strong organizational and planning skills and consistent follow through and execution. The candidate will also be flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of the evolving youth voice initiatives work.

Position Responsibilities: 

Support the Preparation of Events, Meetings, and Trainings

• Organize and coordinate logistics for meeting and events, including purchasing supplies and food, reserving rooms and event venues, sending gift cards, preparing and transporting materials
• Support in communication to youth, community, and stakeholders for meetings and events including designing flyers, creating event registration, sending out phone or email communication, and collecting RSVPs 
• Support and track the planning of meetings and events and the development of agendas 
• Complete and enter necessary post-event data entry into our internal database and tracking systems to capture various data such as survey results, attendance etc.
• Support with coordinating transportation for youth as needed
• Create and provide calendar of events to youth, community, and stakeholders as needed

Manage Paperwork and Data Entry 

• Collect and track youth hours and timesheets 
• Process youth payments and ensure timely distribution of payment 
• Complete and enter youth attendance into ETO database, Cityspan and within other tracking systems  
• Create, organize, and regularly update all council materials which may include liability waivers, agendas, calendars etc.
• Maintain and update all necessary information into FLY’s ETO database, Google Drive, and Dropbox folders to maintain proper records and documentation
• Enter reimbursements into the budget tracking systems, submit to accounting, and provide updates to the Manager on spending trends 

Provide General Programmatic and Administrative Support 

• Create recruitment materials in collaboration with youth leaders, coordinate recruitment logistics, and maintain relationships with referral sources 
• Support the facilitation of meetings by note taking, navigating technology, co-leading activities, etc.
• Prepare activities, agendas, polls, surveys, and presentations etc.
• Support research of key stakeholders and systems change issue areas in support of youths’ projects 
• Support the communication with key systems and community partners by providing updates, sending invitations, attending community events, etc.

Other duties as needed and assigned.

Note: Many FLY events and activities occur during evenings and weekends and require flexibility in staff schedules. Some travel between FLY’s counties will be required. Remote work will be an option when appropriate. 

Compensation

This position is a Full-Time Non-Exempt role at a rate of $23.04/hourly with differential pay options based on advanced degree and, when applicable to the role, speaking another language. Our Total Rewards Package also includes the following: 

• Healthcare and/or 403(b) stipend
• Mileage reimbursement 
• 10+ PTO days per year plus 12 holiday days; FLY also provides 3-4 additional "rejuvenation days off" twice per year in July and December (these days off are above and beyond your accrued PTO hours)
• 8 hours of civic engagement hours
• Annual professional development goal stipend with a portion eligible toward health/wellness needs 
• Employee Assistance Program (paid for by FLY)
• Flexible work schedules and occasional remote work days 

At FLY, we have adopted a no-negotiation policy. This policy reflects our commitment to equity and ensuring that the offers we make to our candidates reflect competitive and appropriate compensation given the market and the role.

At Fresh Lifelines for Youth, we are committed to hiring top talent. As such, FLY will be implementing a temporary policy offering all new hires a one time signing bonus. All full-time hires will receive $1,500.00 which will be paid in their first paycheck. This amount will be prorated accordingly for part-time hires. This does not apply to seasonal or contract positions. Nor would it apply to internal lateral moves or promotions. 

Our Commitment To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion

At FLY, we embrace a diversity of identities, beliefs, thoughts, and experiences. We commit to creating an organizational culture of equity and inclusion to serve our youth and communities better. FLY is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive for an inclusive culture and a staff team that reflects diversity. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex/gender, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. We strongly encourage women; people of color, people who identify as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities; people with experience in the juvenile justice or criminal justice systems; and people with disabilities to apply. Fresh Lifelines for Youth is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 263-2630 or compliance@flyprogram.org

Experience Requirements and Preferences 

• Strong Organizational Skills: Ability to juggle many projects and tasks with autonomy. Proven administrative skills and ability to manage programmatic organization, forecasting, and implementation at a high level of professionalism. 
• Computer Skills: Proficiency with applications including Google Workspace and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Experienced with database systems. Experience with Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) database is a plus.
• Time Management: Utilizes strategic time management to concentrate efforts on FLY priorities through efficient systems, processes and tools.  
• Equity-Centered Facilitation: Experience with facilitating conversations around equity, race, systemic racism, white supremacy, implicit bias, trauma, and inclusivity is a plus. 

Preferred Competencies

• Cultural Responsivity: Demonstrates the values articulated by FLY’s definitions of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Valuing diverse identities within the organization and being self-aware of one’s own bias, power and privilege in different relationships and settings

• Professionalism: FLY defines professionalism as the ability to own your work, be accountable, and take initiative to produce excellent results. This also includes the customer service we show to our youth, their families, our colleagues and stakeholders, as well as the ability to follow FLY policies and procedures.

• Collaboration: Ability to work productively within a team, contribute to the work with the big picture in mind (FLY’s mission and agency goals), and be mindful of exercising your strengths while also encouraging others to do the same.

• Communication: Uses effective written and verbal communication with staff, teams and communities served; demonstrates empathy, self-awareness, and listening skills. 

• Critical Thinking: Consistently identifies, gathers, and applies relevant information to complete work efficiently and effectively. 

• Resiliency: Demonstrates the ability to adjust to change and work through ambiguity with a growth and solutions-oriented mindset. This means having an openness to change and new perspectives, as well as seeing change-related challenges as fluid and possible to overcome rather than fixed.