Teen Activist Project Coordinator

Title: Teen Activist Project Coordinator

Office: Affiliate Offices

Location: New York, NY

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation's leading advocates on behalf of constitutional rights and liberties. Founded in 1951, as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the NYCLU is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with more than 180,000 members and supporters, and eight offices statewide. We work in the courts, in the legislatures and on the streets to advocate for racial and economic justice, free speech, freedom of religion, privacy and equality before the law for all New Yorkers. For more information, please visit our website: www.nyclu.org.

DEI VISION STATEMENT

The NYCLU affirmatively values the humanity and contributions of those we work with, inside and outside of the organization; and will take action to build and sustain an equitable, anti-racist culture that centers the voices and experiences of marginalized and directly impacted people and communities, and an organizational environment where all people feel valued, trusted, and respected. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and having a workforce that reflects the population that we serve and actively recruit people of color, women, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated people, and LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

The Teen Activist Project (TAP) Coordinator works under the supervision of the Youth Programs Manager to coordinate TAP, the NYCLU’s marquee youth organizing program, with over 150 members across New York City. TAP began as the Teen Health Initiative (THI) in 1997, founded with the mission of removing barriers that prevent young people from accessing critical health services and information. Now, over 20 years later, TAP carries on the mission of the Teen Health Initiative and works on a broader range of NYCLU Education Policy Center issues. As part of the NYCLU’s Education Policy Center, the TAP Coordinator will ensure that youth are specifically working on issues directly affecting their schools and community, e.g., the school-to-prison pipeline, adolescent health, and environmental justice.

The TAP Coordinator increases awareness of youth and students’ rights by training nearly 150 youth organizers a year. The TAP Coordinator works with colleagues across the Education Center and the NYCLU to ensure that youth can organize on issues that directly impact them. They also work to establish the NYCLU’s credibility and presence in New York City public schools by building relationships with students, parents, and educators. TAP focuses heavily on leadership development by empowering young people to take action on issues they care about, educating them on peer mentoring tools and providing them with the space to lead workshops and trainings within the program. Through a strategy of public education and advocacy aimed at providing teens and the professionals who serve them with vital information relating to youth and students’ rights, TAP has become a nationally recognized youth organizing program in New York. Youth service providers in schools, community-based organizations and health care settings regularly turn to TAP for advice and seek its assistance in advocating for their clients.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Recruit and supervise an activist, organizing and peer education program for teenagers.
• Develop and implement a long-term vision for the program, including the expansion of membership across the five boroughs.
• Identify opportunities for youth to engage in activism and organizing around the NYCLU’s strategic priorities.
• Integrate TAP projects with NYCLU’s Education Policy Center projects and campaigns.
• Work with youth organizers to schedule and conduct trainings on a variety of issues affecting young people.
• Build and strengthen relationships with New York City public schools.
• Collaborate with coalition partners and key allies.
• Frequent travel within five boroughs of NYC is required. Some travel outside of NYC may be required. Attendance may be required at meetings in evenings and weekends as needed, under provisions of NYCLU policy manual.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Three years’ experience in youth organizing, youth development, education, or related field.
• A masters’ degree (preferred) or equivalent in Education, Sociology, Social Work, Human Development, Community Organizing, Gender or Cultural Studies, or a related discipline.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse populations (Spanish fluency a plus).
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Experience working with social justice and/or legal professionals a plus.
• A passion for civil liberties and civil rights.
• Experience delivering trainings for youth.
• Experience working with systems that serve youth (such as school systems).
• Understanding of and commitment to the nonpartisan mission and goals of the NYCLU and ACLU.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Availability & willingness to travel across New York City, and to work some nontraditional hours.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your resume and cover letter that includes your unique qualifications for this position, and where or how you learned of this job posting via https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/1147846/New-York-Civil-Liberties-Union-Foundation/Teen-Activist-Project-Coordinator

If feasible, please submit these materials as a single PDF.

The NYCLU is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and having a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve.

The NYCLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail ldecicco@nyclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

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