Posted on November 9, 2009

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Program Officer

The Youth Development Institute (YDI) is seeking an individual to work in its Young Adult Initiatives. For this work, the Program Officer will report to the Director of Young Adult Initiatives, formerly known as Community Education Pathways to Success (CEPS).

YDI increases developmental opportunities for youth and strengthens the capacity of communities to serve youth. YDI works with a wide range of organizations, schools and colleges in New York City and nationally to develop and disseminate effective practices to practitioners, policymakers and others through capacity building, technical assistance, and creation and dissemination of materials.

Community Education Pathways to Success

In 2005, YDI developed the CEPS model in an effort to change the prospects for youth who have dropped out of school with low literacy and numeracy skills. Through CEPS, YDI works to build the capacity of community based organizations and libraries to provide literacy, social support, career development and youth development services to these young adults. Early results of this project demonstrate sharp student skill increases and entrance into GED classes.

College Access and Success

Another strand of the Young Adult Initiatives is to provide young people with a clear route into and through post secondary education. The College Access and Success Project develops and supports partnerships between colleges and community-based organizations to help youth succeed in college.

Responsibilities Include:

• Work collaboratively with YDI staff and the project partners to further the goals of the Young Adult Initiatives.
• Assist with the design, delivery and assessment of capacity building to community-based organizations and libraries. This includes training and on-site assistance to participating sites in the implementation of key practices that support YDI's blended approach to literacy and numeracy instruction, social supports, career development, and principles of youth development.
• Conduct training in Youth Development.
• Collect promising practices, program data and research to inform model design, implementation, and documentation.
• Participate in development efforts, including writing reports to funders and grant writing.
• Be available to work evening and weekend hours, and to travel out of state, when necessary.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications include:

• Five or more years experience working with young people, preferably ages 16 to 21.
• Knowledge of practice and research in youth development, social supports and career exploration for young adults, and community organizations.
• Experience in the training and facilitation of staff.
• Knowledge of community-based organizations and schools.
• Strong analytic and problem solving skills.
• Experience in navigating complex systems and working collaboratively with others.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• BA or higher level degree (MSW or appropriate education degree preferred).

Candidates should send a cover letter of no more than one page and a resume/CV. The cover letter should succinctly state your beliefs about the essential qualities of effective educational settings for young adults. Please indicate salary requirements. Salary is commensurate with experience and YDI employees receive excellent benefits. YDI is an equal opportunity employer with a highly diverse staff. Cover letter and resume should be sent via email to:

TJ Volonis
Office Manager
Youth Development Institute
1440 Broadway, Suite 1601
New York, NY 10018
Fax: (646) 943-8821
E-mail: avolonis@ydinstitute.org

Find out more by visiting the organization's web site»

Job Type: Program
Organization Type: Nonprofit Organizations