Instructional Support Program Director
Job Description
Next Generation Politics/YVote was founded in the aftermath of the 2016 election, in recognition of the breadth of civic breakdown in our country, the low percentage at which young people vote, the degree to which civic education is absent in our schools, and the extent of segregation of students within even diverse and dynamic cities. Next Gen brings socioeconomically, racially, and politically diverse high schoolers together to grapple with complex civic issues and current events in order to equip them to be informed, engaged citizens and change-makers within their schools and communities. We focus on perspective-taking, critical thinking, and deliberative discourse, emphasizing creating on-ramps for youth to be actively involved in strengthening democracy and civil society. Next Gen is building a movement of young people committed to building bridges through deliberative dialogue across various divides.
Our Program Director will help develop and scale all aspects of programming and curriculum, bringing experience in positive youth development and, ideally, civic engagement to the work. It’s a great role for candidates interested in working directly with a diverse group of teens from around New York and across the country as well as codifying and creating workshops and resources for use on a broader scale. The Program Director will work closely with the Executive Director to develop and implement an ambitious strategic growth plan.
Core Responsibilities
- Create inclusive space where youth build their confidence as leaders and team members, and develop supportive relationships with peers
- Develop overarching themes / goals for the season/year and engaging, youth-centric activities for Next Gen Civic Forums and YVote ChangeMaker sessions
- Design and facilitate:
- Monthly Next Gen Civic Forums that address themes such as Climate Change, Criminal Justice, Freedom of Expression, Immigration, Structural Racism, and Voting Rights and Civic Action Projects that entail more in-depth work around those core content areas
- Biweekly YVote Pizza and Politics Forums that build skills in YVote’s Civic Skills matrix and address youth leadership, civic engagement, voting, campaign organizing, social justice issues and other relevant topics
- Lead expansion of student-led Next Gen chapters across the country and support existing chapters
- Coordinate and support the development and execution of Days of Action and collaborative events throughout the year
- Collaborate with peer facilitators on workshop and activity development for each session through planning and debrief meetings / calls
- Train incoming peer facilitators for summer and school year sessions and support their development in program facilitation and working with peers from diverse backgrounds
- Mentor participants in campaign work for voter registration, mobilization, and civic education, including identifying resources and/or supports participants need to be successful / meet campaign goals
- Forge and sustain partnerships with other youth activist organizations working towards shared goals
- Codify YVote’s prior work and methodologies for pitching to potential partners and fee-for-service contracts
- Assess and supplement existing programming to serve the broadest range of learners, particularly the most vulnerable and civically disengaged, and work to recruit and retain YVoters from under-resourced schools
Qualifications
- At least 3-5 years of working in a program capacity with high school and early college youth from diverse backgrounds
- Experience designing and leading group workshops and workshop development
- Understanding of, and passion for, civics including voting, elections, government, etc. ‘
- Enthusiasm to co-construct and co-facilitate with young people
- Experience as an activist / organizer in a campaign a plus
- Minority, women, LGBTQ backgrounds strongly encouraged to apply
- From NYC or experience working in NYC schools a plus
Salary and Benefits:
This is a four day a week role— part of Next Gen’s commitment to honoring holistic development of staff and youth alike– with a full time salary in the range of $50,000 – $65,000 annually, and a benefits package including: health insurance, paid holidays, vacation days, and personal and sick days. We anticipate two days a week of onsite work and two days with a remote option.
