Youth Cultural Navigator & Wellness Leader

SOC Classification: 21-1019 — Community Health Workers

Stipend: $9,000  |  18-month program period; position is 20% FTE

Reports To: Lead Cultural Navigator & Project Director

This position aligns with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 21-1019 — Community Health Workers. The role promotes health and wellness among immigrant and refugee youth by facilitating peer wellness workshops, supporting health literacy education, and helping young community members connect with health resources and programs. The Youth Cultural Navigator & Wellness Leader functions as a trusted peer educator and cultural bridge — consistent with the nationally recognized CHW model of community members who share the language, culture, and lived experience of the populations they serve. This peer-rooted model is an evidence-informed strategy for reaching communities where trust is a prerequisite for engagement.

The Youth Cultural Navigator & Wellness Leader is a stipend-based peer leadership role supporting youth engagement and wellness within the Kolovita Community Resilience initiative. This position is designed for a young community member who shares the cultural background and lived experience of the immigrant and refugee youth Kolovita serves.

This role is about showing up, building trust, and opening doors — helping young people in Central Oregon's immigrant and refugee communities participate in programs that strengthen resilience, health literacy, and connection to one another and to the resources available to them.

The Youth Cultural Navigator facilitates peer workshops, supports community events, and helps ensure that Kolovita's programming reflects the real experiences and priorities of the young people it's designed to serve.

Working in English, Ukrainian, and Russian, this role is a meaningful opportunity to develop professional skills in community health, youth leadership, and public health outreach — while making a direct impact in your own community.

Academic Internship Opportunity

This position may be structured as a paid, for-credit internship for eligible students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs in public health, social services, education, community development, or related fields. Kolovita is committed to supporting student learning through applied, community-based experience aligned with academic program requirements.

The Youth Cultural Navigator & Wellness Leader will receive structured supervision from the Lead Cultural Navigator & Project Director or designated program staff.

Primarily in-person engagement within Central Oregon communities across Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook Counties.

•    In-person youth engagement and community events — 80%

•    Program coordination and outreach support — 20%

The Youth Cultural Navigator & Wellness Leader is a core part of Kolovita's community engagement strategy. Research consistently shows that peer leaders from within a community are among the most effective connectors — particularly for populations where trust in outside institutions is limited.

This role operates within the broader Kolovita initiative, which partners with Mosaic Community Health to help immigrant and refugee families access integrated health services across Central Oregon. The Youth Cultural Navigator contributes to that mission by strengthening health literacy and community connection among the next generation.

•    Build authentic peer relationships that encourage youth participation in wellness and community programs

•    Support youth recruitment and outreach across Kolovita program activities

•    Help communicate program opportunities in ways that feel accessible and relevant to immigrant and refugee youth

•    Facilitate youth workshops focused on resilience, health literacy, and cultural connection

•    Support peer leadership activities that center youth voice and lived experience

•    Promote wellness practices grounded in the cultural backgrounds of the communities served

•    Participate in community events, health fairs, and outreach activities

•    Help distribute health information and community resources in culturally appropriate ways

•    Represent youth perspectives in program activities and community engagement

•    Assist with documentation of youth participation and engagement outcomes

•    Support program coordination using digital tools and communication platforms as directed

We're looking for a young person from the community who is enthusiastic, trustworthy, and genuinely invested in the wellbeing of immigrant and refugee youth in Central Oregon. You don't need a degree or a professional background — you need to care about your community and be willing to show up.

•    Fluency in English, Ukrainian, and Russian

•    Personal connection to immigrant or refugee experience, or meaningful experience engaging with these communities

•    A genuine interest in youth wellness, peer leadership, and community resilience

•    Ability to communicate warmly and build trust with young people across different backgrounds

•    Comfort with basic digital tools (email, Google Docs, messaging platforms)

•    Valid non-commercial driver's license (or ability to obtain one)

•    Ability to pass a criminal background check consistent with youth program standards

•    Experience in youth programs, mentorship, peer support, or community education — formal or informal

•    Familiarity with health topics or community resources available to families in Central Oregon

•    Experience facilitating group conversations, workshops, or peer activities