Job Description
Youth Organizer
Classification
Full Time / Exempt / Salaried
Salary
$41,000
Organizational Summary
Safe & Sound, Inc. emerged as a comprehensive, community-based response to crime and violence in the City of Milwaukee. Since 1998, Safe & Sound has been dedicated to improving safety in challenged Milwaukee’s neighborhoods. Our three-pronged strategy advances: (1) community organizing, (2) youth development and (3) partnerships with law enforcement. We unite residents, youth, law enforcement and community resources to build safe and empowered neighborhoods.
Position Summary
The Youth Organizer at Safe & Sound is one part of a three-part strategy aimed at building collective efficacy in neighborhoods to create safer communities. The Youth Organizer focuses on engaging youth in positive activities in the community, providing project-based opportunities for creativity and leadership development. Youth Organizers work with youth to amplify their voices by helping to implement strategies of crime prevention. A critical part of the organizing function is to build community-police relationships by serving as a liaison between youth and law enforcement providing two-way communication (prioritizing and advocating for neighborhood safety priorities within the district). Youth Organizers need to operate successfully when working independently and as a member of the team.
Safe & Sound uses Collective Impact as a framework for how we engage and partner with cross sector community stakeholders to support youth and adult residents to lead in their neighborhoods.” Youth Organizers are responsible for incorporating collective impact strategies into their output goals. Collective impact includes leading work groups on specific resident-initiated goals and maintaining strong relationships with partners. These groups will meet regularly and are made up of community members and representatives from neighborhood partner organizations.
Youth Organizers are responsible for incorporating collective impact work into their output goals. Collective impact will be done through leading working groups on specific youth resident-initiated goals. These groups will meet regularly and are made up of community members and representatives from neighborhood partner organizations.
Youth Organizers are neighborhood mobilizers who conduct outreach and organize youth year-round. They recruit youth to available youth programming provided by CLCs, youth centers and other non- profits. They also work with youth leaders to implement community and neighborhood improvement projects. The youth organizers will work as a member of their district team to build stability and cohesion in target neighborhoods. Youth organizers are responsible for, listening to, and helping to address, the individual concerns of youth residents. Youth organizers develop neighborhood-based initiatives, enhancing safety and positively impacting the community and improving overall quality of life for youth residents. Youth organizers work with a variety of community stakeholders to address youth resident-led initiatives and/or complaints that may include a broad range of neighborhood safety concerns. Youth organizers will incorporate activities, campaigns, events and disseminate prevention materials to build resident capacity to change factors that contribute to alcohol and marijuana use. The youth organizer will make every effort to clear the way for youth to impact the community and help bridge the intergenerational gap between youth and adult residents. The ultimate goal will be to connect youth to their community and empowering them to enact the change they’d like to see.
Basic Requirements
- Must have a valid driver’s license, a vehicle and automobile insurance
- Must be able to pass a criminal background check
- County of Milwaukee residency preferred
This position includes a workload comprised of:
Community/Youth Engagement (to include outreach and other community events)
40%
Partner Meetings
10%
Internal Meetings
10%
Administrative Work
20%
Prevention Work
10%
Leading Neighborhood Collective Impact Initiatives
10%
- Admin work: email, data entry reporting (Salesforce), web-based timesheet system, expense reports, use of project management tools (Click Up), Microsoft Teams communications, outreach prep, phone calls/text messages
- Community outreach: actual community facing work (doors, events, community hours)
- Partner meetings: external (in person or virtual)
- Internal: all staff meetings, pillar meetings, neighborhood team meetings, committee and workgroup meetings (in person or virtual)
- Prevention: all prevention related activities (Drug Free Coalition included)
- Collective Impact: training, surveys, workgroups
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully an individual must be a self-starter. This role requires building and maintaining relationships in a variety of settings. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skills and ability required to perform the duties of this job satisfactorily.
- Responsible for meeting youth where they are and to leverage that interaction to build relationships that connect them to positive programming. Youth Organizers are responsible for the overall youth community organizing, networking and youth mobilization within assigned neighborhood sector(s) including pop ups, youth clean ups and other youth led events and projects. By way of front porch conversations and phone calls, youth organizers will make contact with youth and disseminate program -related information in the assigned neighborhoods on an ongoing basis.
- Works collaboratively with youth to build positive relationships with Alder people, County supervisors, the Mayor’s Office and other elected officials, CBOS, businesses, law enforcement and other City of Milwaukee community resource departments. Additionally, Youth Organizers work with other Safe & Sound staff to provide planning, problem solving, and assessment services related to crime, violence and ultimately drive prevention efforts at the neighborhood level.
- Facilitates virtual or in-person presentations and represent Safe & Sound at relevant events, community forums, block watch meetings, collective impact work groups, media events and collaborative community-based
- Ensures accurate and timely reporting and data entry of activities for assigned neighborhoods and/or other city-wide responsibilities which help to identify progress towards meeting goals and target outputs. Youth Organizers are responsible for the timely and accurate submission of narratives, data entry and reports as it relates to assigned sectors (including priority neighborhoods) weekly, monthly, quarterly and
- Makes contact with youth and disseminate program-related and prevention related information by conducting strategic outreach and going door-to-door in the assigned neighborhoods on an ongoing
- Leads meetings and conversations with community stakeholders and residents about the ongoing coordination of the collective impact initiative. Youth Organizers will lead the development and ongoing coordination of collective impact
- Works in a leadership capacity with other team members to implement special project grants and initiatives, as well as track and report on project
- Develops and cultivates relationships with neighborhood partner
- Will host and facilitate, coordinate and be engaged with internal Safe & Sound meetings, committees and workgroups and work as a team with all Safe & Sound
- Responsible for coordinating youth engagement events specific to Safe & Sound programming (i.e. Barbershop Monday, SMILE & Slay, Juneteenth Youth Voice Stage, )
- Will manage and facilitate relationships with neighborhood schools and youth serving agencies to enhance youth engagement opportunities with students
- Youth Organizers will perform other duties as
Additional Requirements
This is an exempt level position with a work schedule of 40+ hours per week to include frequent nights/weekends for community events and meetings as needed. Work will be performed in an office setting, in neighborhoods and at meetings. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Bachelor’s Degree in social science or human services preferred not required (minimum high school diploma or equivalent)
- Two or more years related experience and/or training in social service setting that demonstrates the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to perform the above tasks; or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Experience working with elected officials, law enforcement, neighborhood organizations, residents and/or
- Knowledge of the community and social issues, the Milwaukee community and community organizations.
- Ability to effectively utilize job-related software including but not limited to Microsoft Word, Outlooks, Excel, Teams and the internet. Ability to type proficiently, prepare reports, write correspondence and e-mail.
- Ability to effectively present written and verbal information. Ability to respond to questions from the general public, state and local elected officials, law enforcement, neighborhood residents, youth, adults, as well as staff of various community-based organizations. Some public speaking required.
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of
- Sound judgement and temperament with the ability to listen to and interpret instructions, apply common sense understanding and carry out instructions furnished written or
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a multicultural
- Maintain confidentiality of written or verbal
- Experience and ability to multi-task and coordinate a variety of projects
- Physical demands include door-to-door canvassing, facilitating neighborhood events and participating in block watch and community