Youth Development Professional - Middle School

Organization: Boys and Girls Clubs of San Leandro
Location: School-based Site
Department: Programming
Position Type: Part-Time, On-Site

About the Role

As a Youth Development Professional, you’ll create a safe, fun, and inclusive after-school environment where middle school youth can learn, grow, and build confidence. Through engaging activities and mentorship, you’ll support their academic success and social-emotional development. This role directly contributes to Boys & Girls Clubs of San Leandro by fostering positive youth development and ensuring a high-quality after-school experience. What makes this role unique is the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, work with a diverse team, and make a lasting impact in a dynamic, supportive setting.

Responsibilities

• Safety & Supervision: Provide a safe, nurturing, and structured environment for all youth, ensuring their well-being throughout all activities.
• Engaging Program Facilitation: Plan and lead fun, age-appropriate after-school programs for a group of about 20 students, fostering personal growth, academic success, and character development.
• Lesson Planning & Classroom Management: Develop lesson plans that cater to diverse learning styles and interests while setting clear expectations and enforcing group agreements to promote positive behavior.
• Daily Routine Oversight: Manage daily activities, including lessons, playtime, breaks, and mealtimes, ensuring smooth transitions and structured engagement.
• Progress Tracking & Communication: Monitor student participation and progress, sharing updates with team members and the Program Manager to enhance program effectiveness.
• Classroom Organization & Preparedness: Maintain a clean, organized, and well-equipped classroom, ensuring an inviting and functional learning environment.
• Mentorship & Relationship Building: Serve as a positive role model, fostering self-esteem, personal growth, and an inclusive environment where all youth feel valued and respected.
• Team Collaboration & Support: Work closely with colleagues to achieve program goals, share best practices, and provide support to other program sites as needed.

Our Values in Action

• Transformative Leadership: We aspire to transform possibilities into probabilities. By embodying emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and empathy, we foster positive change with humility, authenticity, and continuous self-improvement.
  • Supporting students and colleagues, embodying a team-first mindset.
  • Adapting and remaining flexible, assisting at different sites and working with various age groups when necessary.
  • Approaching every interaction with emotional intelligence and empathy, creating a safe and supportive space for youth.
• Resilience: We approach every situation with a growth mindset, demonstrating flexibility and courage, reframing challenges as opportunities. We acknowledge our current state, embrace change, and adapt as needed, maintaining a solutions-oriented approach throughout our growth journey.
  • Demonstrating perseverance by showing up with commitment and energy, regardless of daily challenges.
  • Maintaining a growth mindset, continuously seeking ways to improve programs and student experiences.
  • Leading with optimism and problem-solving, approaching obstacles as opportunities to strengthen your skills and impact.
• Youth Centered Approach: Every organizational action or maneuver is designed to directly impact and benefit the youth we serve. We value and prioritize the youth perspective, making decisions with a focus on their needs and well-being, rather than adult convenience.
  • Treating every day as a fresh start, offering mentorship and guidance with patience and understanding.
  • Prioritizing youth voices by incorporating their ideas and feedback into programming.
  • Advocating for and empower young people, ensuring their needs and well-being remain at the center of all decisions.

Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years old to work with middle school youth.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• High emotional intelligence and integrity.
• Ability to connect authentically with a diverse group of youth.
• Patience and the ability to work under pressure in emotionally charged situations.
• Genuine belief in the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of San Leandro and the responsibility of serving youth and the community.

Qualifications

Educational Requirements (Must Have One Of The Following):

• High school diploma + 48 college semester units (~ 2 years college), OR
• High school diploma + an Associate’s (or higher) degree, OR
• High school diploma + a passing score on the district’s Paraeducator/Paraprofessional Exam.

Preferred:

• Multi-conversational language skills are a huge plus (Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Tagalog).
• Experience, education, or coursework in Childhood Development, Education, or related fields.
• Prior experience working in youth programs, education, or nonprofit settings.

Work Environment

• Frequently required to stand, walk, utilize hand and finger dexterity, talk, or hear.
• Occasionally required to sit, climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel, or crawl.
• Rarely work in high, precarious places (playground equipment height).
• Occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.
• Occasionally exposed to bloodborne and airborne pathogens or infectious materials (e.g., communicable diseases in an office environment including COVID-19, common cold, and flu viruses; negative TB screen required).
• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50-70 pounds (e.g., with support, a child that has fallen).
• Specialized equipment: Walkie Talkie radios for communication.

Pay

$20-$25/hour

Schedule

Monday–Friday, 1:00–6:00 PM (PT). This role follows the school-year calendar and does not include hours during academic breaks. Summer Camp work may be available based on program needs and availability.