Job Description:

The Organizing and Political Action Coordinator (full-time) will be responsible for the overall development and coordination of all organizing work within the United Teen Equality Center (UTEC) and will be the lead staff in coordinating a statewide coalition of youth groups called TLTW (Teens Leading the Way) focused on youth-led policymaking. S/he will ensure that all teen leaders engaged in this work receive intensive support and case management to foster their personal development goals. UTEC’s work in this area focuses on creating youth-led systemic change (through organizing, civic engagement, and policymaking) that addresses the root causes of social injustice, while at the same time increasing young people’s belief that they can be effective agents of social change.

The Coordinator will ensure adherence to timelines and communication between all partners of the statewide coalition, Teens Leading the Way, comprised of over 7 different communities throughout the state. S/he will offer support to all community partners, and provide coordination related to the coalition’s statewide campaigns focused on utilizing youth-led policymaking as a means for systemic change. S/he will work with teens to facilitate all monthly meetings and quarterly retreats, as well as all training and case management for the program. Past campaigns have focused on creating our own bill related to new funding for mental heath services in teen centers and advocating for and being engaged in the planning process of the Governor’s first statewide youth council. Our current work is an education-focused campaign.

Locally, the Coordinator will supervise 1-2 AmeriCorps volunteers or Organizing Fellows within UTEC to mentor a group of 8-10 young people, ages 15-20, with the goal of creating a forum for organizing and political action within the center, while developing strategies to best target those young people who may not be initially engaged in this work as potential organizers for our community (i.e. creating a pathway from peacemaking to political action). Each year, youth organizers will decide upon a specific, winnable campaign that will be developed over the course of the year. There will be an emphasis on using youth-led public policy as a tool for grassroots change. This group of young people will have an active presence at both City Hall and the State House, engaged in a variety of political action work focused on their specific campaign. In addition to their campaign work, teen organizers will create peer to peer education through organizing and social change-focused workshops within UTEC to increase other teens’ exposure to and engagement in such topics.

General Responsibilities:

• Coordinate monthly TLTW meetings and regular communication with partner agencies throughout the state.
• Continuously develop and update a curriculum for youth-led policymaking and organizing.
• Supervise 1-2 AmeriCorps volunteers or Organizing Fellows working on youth organizing.
• Support teen leaders and AmeriCorps/Organizing Fellows to develop their own action plans to carry out a local civic engagement/organizing campaign in Lowell.
• Facilitate youth organizing trainings and workshops for teens throughout the agency.
• Develop strategies to engage those teens in organizing work who may not initially express such interest, specifically targeting those teens labeled as “difficult to engage.”
• Mentor teen members and follow-up on their personal development plans.
• Build relationships and exchanges with other established youth organizing programs.
• Build relationships and facilitate communications with political and policy leaders related to all campaigns.
• Compile all necessary reports.
• Facilitate evaluation process in partnership with teen leaders.

Additional Qualifications:

• Activist/organizing/political action experience preferred
• Management experience
• Capacity to work independently
• Ability to multi-task and adapt to changing environment
• Flexibility to work hours as program needs change
• BA preferred/equivalent community experience accepted
• Bi-lingual preferred
• Previous experience working with young people
• Strong leadership & facilitation skills
• Strong comfort level in approaching and engaging teens in various situations
• Ability to laugh at oneself a must

Application Procedure:

All candidates must email your resume and cover letter to: jluna@utec-lowell.org Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis with our intention to hire as soon as possible so, please send in ASAP! For more info on UTEC, visit www.utec-lowell.org.