Program Associate

Role: Program Associate

Classification: Part-Time (16 hours/week), Non-Exempt, At-Will

Compensation: $21-$25/hour

Dates: August 1, 2026 – May 30, 2027

Reports to: Program Coordinator

Role Overview

The Program Associate is a key support role within Chapter 510’s youth programs. This position works closely with Teaching Artists and program staff to help create joyful, organized, and supportive learning environments for Oakland youth. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working with young people, is highly organized, collaborative, and excited about creative writing, publishing, arts education, and community-centered work. The Program Associate supports programs both at Westlake Middle School and at Chapter 510’s community arts center in downtown Oakland. Responsibilities include classroom support, youth mentorship, documentation, outreach, program logistics, and helping maintain our creative spaces. This position plays an especially important role in supporting our Westlake Writers’ Room, a dedicated creative writing and publishing space where middle school students explore storytelling, poetry, identity, and book arts.

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING APPROACH

Our programs are grounded in a Culturally Responsive Teaching Approach inspired by Zaretta Hammond and our pedagogy partners, Studio Pathways. All curriculum centers the work of writers of color and integrates arts-based frameworks to support diverse learning styles and ways of knowing.

About Chapter 510

Mission

Chapter 510 connects youth to the power of their story.

We provide a safe space for youth to bravely write, centering Black, brown and queer voices.

Vision

Every young person in Oakland writes with confidence and joy.

Values

We are youth-centered.

We create programs for kids and teens ages 8-19. We center youth imagination, identity, and experience as an integral part of our curriculum and our community space.

We create lasting impact.

We build in-depth, long-term programming that helps form multi-year relationships with students, educators, volunteers, donors, and partners to create lasting impact in our students’ lives.

We center play & imagination.

We value play and imagination as essential to learning, fostering an environment of creativity, innovation, empathy, and connection.

We are strength-based.

We believe that every young person has brilliance within them. We create an affirming and culturally competent space for young people to grow and become agents of change.

We are Oakland-centered.

We prioritize Oakland youth, schools, artists, and vendors. We build connections between the city’s diverse communities, individuals, and organizations around arts and culture.

We create safe & brave spaces.

We cultivate a space where young people of diverse backgrounds can express their full selves in an environment of care and compassion. We hold safe space for queer and BIPOC youth to bravely write.

We are committed to Justice, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

We are an anti-hate and anti-discrimination organization that fosters a space of belonging through the arts and education. We follow culturally responsive practices in teaching and publishing. We prioritize publishing youth of color in programs led by paid artists of color who reflect the communities we serve.

Position Details

Program Associate Duties

Classroom & Program Support

• Support Teaching Artists during workshops and after-school programs
• Help set up and clean up classrooms and creative spaces
• Assist students during writing and bookmaking activities
• Support classroom culture, conflict resolution, and student engagement
• Help facilitate lunch-time literary arts clubs and workshops
• Provide one-on-one student support when needed
• Step in to support sessions if mentors or facilitators are absent

Program Operations

• Track attendance for students and mentors
• Help organize program supplies, materials, snacks, and classroom needs
• Maintain the cleanliness and organization of the Westlake Writers’ Room
• Support program evaluations, celebrations, readings, and publishing events
• Assist with gathering student writing and publication materials

Documentation & Communications

• Take photos and document workshops and events
• Help organize student work, media, and program materials
• Support communication with families and ensure paperwork is completed
• Maintain organized program folders and records

OTHER DUTIES

Community Engagement & Events

• Prepare students for public readings and book releases.
• Attend assigned staff meetings and organizational events.
• Represent Chapter 510 in public/media opportunities related to the program.
• Participate in staff retreats (August & January), orientation, and professional development sessions.

Shared Responsibilities

• Reset and tidy writers room after each class.
• Complete paperwork accurately and on time.
• Engage in direct communication and proactive problem-solving.
• Other duties as assigned.

Chapter 510 Requirements

Specialty-Related

• Experience working with children and teens between the ages of 8 to 18 in group settings
• Passion for creative writing, storytelling, poetry and or book arts and publishing
• Successful completion of TB test and background check (upon job offer)

Core Attributes (All Staff)

• A passion for, and commitment to, Chapter 510’s mission and vision, including social, racial, and gender justice (see the employee handbook’s Statement of Belonging and Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination sections for more details)
• Competency to work across lines of difference, including with communities of color, poor and low-income communities, immigrant communities, and other marginalized groups
• Kindness
• Integrity
• Patience and diligence to handle tasks with care and attention to detail
• Punctual, reliable, accountable
• Highly organized and systematic, with excellent time and project management skills
• Versatility and flexibility
• Ability to work independently, remotely, and in-person as part of a team
• Ability to receive and directly give feedback when facing challenges, the unknown, or dysfunctional dynamics to do with racism (or other isms)
• Comfortable with respectful disagreement and direct communication
• Committed to self-reflection, self-awareness, and self-growth
• Ability to assess your work, dynamics, and make decisions with a racial justice lens
• Computer-literate, with basic skills in word processing, spreadsheets, web/email applications, and other work-related applications; Macintosh knowledge preferred
• Comfortable engaging with members of the public, on-site or in the retail store
• Ability to speak, read, write, and understand the primary language(s) used in the workplace
• Bilingual with English-Spanish skills a plus

Logistical & Legal

• Based in or near Oakland (within 30 miles), with the ability to commute to our Oakland location
• Must have a working cell phone with a data plan and a working home internet connection with adequate speed
• Because of the job duties of this position, a criminal background check will be required as a condition of an employment offer; Chapter 510 keeps all background checks confidential per law and only acts upon findings relevant to job functions; please speak to HR for further details.

COMPENSATION

• $21-$25/hour

SCHEDULE

• 16 hours/week, starting August 2025.
• Must be available during the school day.
• Tuesdays 10AM–3PM (5 Hours)
• Wednesdays 11AM–5PM (6 Hours)
• Thursdays 10AM–3PM (5 Hours)

APPLY

Applications due June 2, 2026

Send cover letter and resume to jahan@chapter510.org

A Note on How We Hire at Chapter 510

Chapter 510 is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from individuals representative of the communities we serve. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, HIV/AIDS status, veteran status, or any protected category under the law.We are committed to a hiring process that is clear, collaborative, and rooted in our values of racial justice, youth voice, and liberatory education.

Access Needs Welcome We are happy to make reasonable accommodations at any stage of the process. Please feel free to reach out if you have any access needs, such as interpretation, mobility support, or interview flexibility. We believe hiring should reflect the community we serve. That means we especially welcome applications from Black, Brown, Indigenous, disabled, immigrant, LGBTQ+, and youth-rooted educators.

If you have questions about a role, feel free to reach out to jahan@chapter510.org before applying.

Availble upon request during interview process.

Ability to speak, read, write, and understand the primary language(s) used in the workplace. Bilingual with English-Spanish skills a plus.