
Youth Development Specialist
- Chicago, IL
- $17.14 per hour
- Permanent
- Part-time
- Competitive salaries reflecting your skills and experience.
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for eligible employees, plus wellness programs, mental health resources, and a family gym membership.
- Generous PTO and paid holidays, with flexible work hours for work-life balance.
- 403(b) plan with company contributions for eligible employees after 2 years of service.
- Continuous learning opportunities through workshops and training programs.
- Supportive work environment valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Discounts on programs, employee assistance programs, and company-sponsored events.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of youth growth and development and creates high quality program implementation by providing a safe, supportive, interactive, and engaging environment.
- Provide positive classroom climate that encourages respect and responsibility and that is characterized by teamwork, camaraderie and inclusiveness. - Prepare lesson plans on a daily and/or weekly basis outlining program activity, ensures materials and supplies are available and ready for daily program activities, and ensures all program areas and supplies are clean and well maintained regularly.
- Organize and lead youth in indoor/outdoor activities which meets group and individual needs, interests and considers diverse abilities.
- Provide effective supervision of all children that is age-appropriate and assures the safety and well-being of all youth, at all times.
- Positively interacts with children, parents/guardians and other team members to create a respectful, warm, supportive environment.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of children’s efforts and accomplishments and providing assistance and encouragement to program participants when needed.
- Models self-control, respect and cooperation to children and other team members.
- Utilizes youth arrival/departure to share information with parents/guardians and to build relationships.
- Follows program schedule and maintains accurate records of attendance, meals and other records as necessary to meet program requirements.
- Participate in team meetings and other school-age program activities.
- Complete fifteen clock hours of professional development annually, through participation in offered training, in-service or continuing education and maintain log/record of such.
- Maintain confidentiality regarding all center staff, children, and families.
- Support the YMCA’s mission and center operations as needed.
- Must be 19 years of age and have a minimum of 30 semester hours or equivalent from an accredited college/university with six semester hours or equivalent related to school-aged care, child development, elementary education physical education, recreation, camping or a related field.
- Must meet/maintain requirements for fingerprint background check clearance, provide medical clearance documentation and other program pre-employment prerequisites.
- Valid driver's license
- Ability to meet physical requirements based on job description; The YMCA will accommodate reasonable accommodations for persons with disability.
- Reporting any items that may provide a health or safety hazard to staff, members or guests to your supervisor
- Following all policies and procedures related to keeping children safe in our facilities and programs, including those related to the monitoring and supervision of children
- Reporting any suspicious behavior and violation of policy and procedures to your supervisor
- Completing all child abuse prevention training as required