Youth Development Program Specialist (Riverside)

Youth Development Program Specialist

Unite Health Share Ministries (UHSM) is a nonprofit, faith-based health sharing ministry that facilitates member-to-member health sharing among fellow Christians, serving as a connector to administer medical cost sharing. The UHSM mission is to help Christian families fulfill their God-given purpose to care for one another and to positively impact our communities. Headquartered in Norfolk, VA, UHSM takes a modern approach to health sharing that prioritizes holistic health and wellbeing. UHSM offers simple, fair, and friendly health share programs to its members.

IGNITE Youth Leadership Program

We are a unique sports and leadership ministry that empowers teams of youth (middle and high school age) to coach, mentor, and walk alongside their younger peers (elementary school age) through sports activities and games. Primarily, and due to popularity, that sport has been soccer. However, we do weave into our curriculum other sports, interactive games, and activities (waste basket tennis, chair hockey, scooterball, etc.). Alongside this, we build up that same youth leader team with weekly classes and workshops around prayer and faith, leadership, community engagement, and workforce development.

About This Role

The Youth Development Program Specialist will provide direct support to the IGNITE Youth Leadership Program site in Riverside, the respective Site Director, and the IGNITE youth leaders on and during all activities and programs. This includes but is not limited to assistance in coordinating, scheduling, and managing after school character sports programs and community engagement initiatives; included is assistance with the training, recruitment, and selection of teenage youth leaders along with community outreach and brand awareness, facilitating faith and leadership workshops in our programs (including in school initiatives), and providing a positive and faith-filled presence to the community. This position will also require the familiarization of the program manual along with occasional administrative updates, proofreading, data collection, and reporting. Additionally, work around social media posts, pictures, and content will be required.

Key Responsibilities

Logistics

• Provide support and co-lead (with Riverside Site Director) on all matters related to the IGNITE Youth Leadership Program. This includes but is not limited to the after-school sports programs, IYLP team meetings, site goals and outcomes, recruitment and development of student leaders, student disciplinary matters, partner site meetings and collaboration events, behind the scenes workforce field trips, mock sales and interview days, 2 week summer team building initiatives, and all leadership and faith development initiatives.
• Aiding in the proofreading and on going updates of the IGNITE Youth Leadership Program Manual, including but not limited to translation into Spanish, updates of documents, games and activities, expectation forms, wordsmithing, organizing, structuring, and cleaning up of all content.
• Responsible for the coordination, supervision, and implementation of in school IGNITE character and leadership activity classes (titled IGNITE Club). These are generally held one to two days a week, 30-45 minutes, Monday–Thursday during recess and or lunch time, at pre-designated Riverside elementary school(s). Other responsibilities include cultivation of relationships with on-site school administrators and teachers, creation/ updating of curriculum, and researching new and innovative games and activities to engage the participants. Some after school programs may develop as partnerships are cultivated.
• Responsible for working closely with the Site Director in the creation of or adaptation of curriculum, engagement and encouragement of students in all programs, community outreach and presentations to parents, back to school events, and youth nights. Also responsible for setting goals related to IGNITE program outcomes and maintaining the IGNITE culture within the classes and initiatives.
• Provide co-direction and supervision for IYLP youth leadership program team (10-15 students at Avenue Church) on all after school sports programs, including but not limited to youth leader speaking schedule, station assignments, dates, timeline for the classes, talking points, set-up and break down of all necessary equipment, as well as helping with prayer over participants, public speaking, and new game ideas and implementation.
• Maintain consistent communication and relationship with all IGNITE Youth Leaders, Site Directors, Fireside Director and Founder, and partner site administrators (KidWorks OC, Avenue Church, and designated RUSD elementary schools).
• Responsible for the oversight of and roll-out of IYLP social media posts. This includes selecting 1-2 youth leaders to coach, guide, and mentor, regularly taking pictures, uploading to social media accounts, communication with Site Directors on any questions, and adding appropriate tags and subject matter. Occasional consultation with UHSM Marketing Operations Manager and Graphic Designer required as well.
• Lead and facilitate conversation in team meetings around leadership and faith.
• Maintain consistent communication with the Riverside Site Director. This position will also serve as the main point of contact in the absence of the director.
• Attend and assist once a month in the Avenue Church youth group. The purpose is to provide support to Avenue Church and continue the cultivation of partnership with staff, volunteers, and community. This may include but not limited to helping with room set-up, setting up snacks, suggestions on biblical topics, prayer, assisting with introductions to guest speakers, and modeling vulnerable conversations with youth and student participants.
• Engage in weekly community outreach conversations that will increase brand awareness of IGNITE YLP, WeShare by UHSM, and Fireside Ministries in and around the Riverside and greater Inland Empire community. This can include but is not limited to emails, phone calls, text messages, in-person meetings, online (Teams) meetings, and in-person visits to various potential partnership locations.
  
  

Administrative

• Responsible for all communication (emails, meeting updates, staff meetings) for the above-mentioned programs to students, supervisor, IGNITE team members, and designated partner staff (Kid Works, Avenue Church, and RUSD designated schools).
• Creation of marketing, outreach, and informational forms and materials related to said events and programs. These forms will bein line with IGNITE branding guidelines and will work in consultation with the UHSM marketing team.
• Responsible for all waivers, liability, and program expectation forms.
• Responsible for tracking attendance at in-school programs. If said school is tracking, responsible for gathering info and reporting out at L10 staff meetings and end of semester / year reports.
  
  

Field Trips

• Co-plan and co-coordinate all field trip details and logistics.
• Research and outreach possible new workforce field trip connections and organizations.
• Help supervise all youth leaders and communicate clearly to parents and partner sites on trip details and logistics.
  
  

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree is required.
• Experience with leadership, faith, after school, and or sports activities working directly with youth. Examples - sports leagues, non-profit after school programs, traditional classroom facilitation/ teaching, youth groups, and or youth community service projects.
• Experience working in communities facing socioeconomic challenges a plus.
• Must speak English. Spanish preferred but not required.
• Must be detailed, highly organized and possess the ability to prioritize and time manage.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Intermediate MS Excel and Word required.
• Strong data collection and analytical skills.
• Familiarity with and ability to post on social media platforms. Position will work alongside youth leaders to take pictures, post, and edit all language around content.
• Excellent team player and interpersonal relational skills.
• Must be able to pass background check and TB test .
• Be a person of integrity who follows and believes in God the Father, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit (as per UHSM mission).
  
  

UHSM is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business needs. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.