About Us:

Young London exists to create equitable opportunities for young people to belong in leadership spaces and community life. Each of the programs we lead makes space for young people to participate in decision-making, particularly on issues and initiatives that impact them. First and foremost, we are an organization for young people, led by young people. All of Young London's programs and projects aim to convene young Londoners 15-30 to participate meaningfully in decision-making spaces where we are often underrepresented.

Young London is host to a variety of programs for young people to engage in different levels of community and municipal decision-making, including: 

• The London Youth Advisory Council (LYAC)

• Youth in Philanthropy

• Everyday Empowerment

• Young Leaders

• Other projects as initiated by the organization, or by program participants

Position Overview

The Community Program Director will play a crucial role in supporting the design and implementation of Young London's programs and projects. This position involves assessing community needs, evaluating program effectiveness, facilitating regular programming, conducting community outreach, volunteer recruitment and management to support program facilitation or other administration; and maintaining strong mentoring relationships with young Londoners that we work with.

This role reports to the Executive Director and the primary goal of this role will be connecting with youth to understand their new and emergent needs. This role will also work closely with the Youth Development Coordinator as they facilitate Everyday Empowerment, a program dedicated to empowering young women, girls, and gender-nonconforming individuals. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Program Design and Implementation:

  • In collaboration with the Youth Program Coordinator, implement and revise Everyday Empowerments programming 

  • Assess the needs of the community in collaboration with the Executive Director, and various key stakeholder research and communications manager.

  • Design programs that foster a sense of belonging among young people in community and leadership spaces.

  • Implement programs and ensure they meet the identified needs.

• Program Evaluation:

  • Conduct ongoing evaluations to measure program effectiveness and impact.

  • Adjust and improve programs based on feedback and evaluation results.

• Program Facilitation:

  • Prepare for and facilitate regular programming sessions.

  • Ensure that sessions are engaging and meet the objectives of the programs.

• Community Outreach:

  • Conduct outreach to recruit participants for various programs.

  • Build and maintain relationships with community organizations and stakeholders.

• Volunteer Recruitment and Management:

  • Recruit and manage volunteers to support program facilitation and administration.

  • Provide training and support to volunteers to ensure they are effective in their roles.

• Mentorship:

  • Maintain strong mentoring relationships with young Londoners involved in the programs.

  • Provide guidance and support to help them develop their skills and confidence

Candidate Qualifications

Eligibility: 

As this position is funded by Canada Summer Jobs, there are some requirements. Applicants must:

• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;

• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment; and,

• have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada

Note that this means we strongly regret that international students are currently not eligible to apply for positions funded through Canada Summer Jobs.

The Ideal Candidate: 

As an organization that primarily works with and hires young people, we understand the struggle of “you need the experience to get experience”. For this reason, we are happy to consider applicants with minimal experience. Some skills may be an asset to the position but are not a requirement, such as:

• Experience conducting research or engaging with research 

• Teamwork and managing dynamic relationships

• Communication, particularly in online settings

• Familiarity with digital platforms and software

  • Eg. Canva, google suite, zoom, WordPress

• Leadership, mentorship, volunteer recruitment & management, 

• Management of online conferencing/meeting software

• Facilitation & public speaking

• Fluency in languages other than English (particularly French, Spanish and Arabic)

• Connection to, and passion for working with the community and social justice

• Creative writing and/or formal writing

• Ability to ask thoughtful, provoking questions

Where Do I Do My Work?

Young London is based out of Innovation Works at 201 King Street, London Ontario. This is where we typically host meetings and events for our programs. The Young London team also works remotely and will conduct meetings in various locations around the city.  The ideal candidate for this job will live in or be very familiar with London, Ontario due to the nature of our work. 

What’s In It For You:

• This is a flexible role, at a maximum of 35 hours/week for $20/hour for 8 weeks. 

• This is an opportunity to get hands-on experience outside of an education setting; however, educational research experience is not required. It will be an asset that we consider.

• You will have the opportunity to design what you want this role to look like. We will set overall objectives for your time with us, but creating your work plan will be collaborative.

• You may also:

  • Become informed about what is happening in London, Ontario and Canada

  • Gain experience in leadership and volunteer management

  • Build relationships and manage projects in a way that makes a real impact

  • Meet young people from across the City of London

  • Get invites to London community-building events

  • Use the role as a way to develop whatever skills you want to develop 

How to Apply:

If this job sounds like a good fit for you, submit your resume and cover letter to Nikita at executivedirector@younglondon.ca by June 16, 11:59pm. Include the job title in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you!

Everything Else You Need to Know:

The start date will be on or before July 2nd, 2024. This job is well suited for people with an understanding of research, community outreach work, and a passion for working with youth. However, anyone with an interest in politics, advocacy, asset-based community development, and/or has experience in the work or an interest in learning about the work described here is encouraged to apply.  

Canada Summer Jobs, and Young London, will prioritize making our job opportunities equitably accessible for the following groups: young people who are early leavers of high school, not in employment, education, or training; Black and other racialized young people; Young people with disabilities and; Indigenous young people.