Youthlink Activity Specialist - Enrichment (Edward Byrne Center)

About Us

The Police Athletic League (PAL) of New York City is an independent youth development nonprofit organization serving as an effective, critical bridge between police and communities across all five boroughs since 1914. PAL operates diverse programs for children as young as 2 years old to young adults, including Head Start, after-school programs, summer day camps, evening teen centers, college readiness programs, youth employment, juvenile justice programs, and competitive and recreational sports.

About the Role

We are looking for Part-Time Youthlink Activity Specialists to design and facilitate engaging, high-quality enrichment experiences that inspire creativity, self-expression, and skill development for high school participants. Specialists lead activities in areas such as performing arts, visual arts, music, dance, creative writing, photography, crafts, gaming, and other recreational interests. The Youthlink Activity Specialist will report to the Teen Supervisor and be supported by the Youthlink Director.

Responsibilities

• Foster social and emotional competencies and mental and physical well-being in a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and nurturing environment.
• Teach participants the fundamentals of specialized activity to build their skill level and confidence.
• Coordinate and present a culminating performance at the end of the program cycle.
• Be aware of students with IEPs and medical conditions in your groups and follow support plans to help the student with special needs thrive.
• Respond appropriately when time-sensitive mental health services are needed, such as suicide prevention, grief, and loss due to death or incarceration of a family member.
• Provide referrals to appropriate mental health services as needed.
• Work cooperatively with Group Leaders, professional staff, teachers, and other program and school staff.
• Build positive relationships with youth and caretakers and serve as a role model with respect to demeanor, communication, and behavior.
• Attend meetings with staff, caretakers, volunteers, and community residents as needed.
• Interact with caretakers and keep open lines of communication.

Commitment

• Able to attend 15 hours of orientation prior to the beginning of programming and complete 30 hours of Building Resiliency in Youth training.
• Able to attend scheduled staff meetings and professional development throughout the year.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor's degree in fine arts, Performing Arts, Education, Youth Development, Recreation, Human Services, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of two years of experience working with high school-aged youth in after-school, educational, community-based, recreation, arts, or enrichment programs.
• Demonstrated experience or proficiency in one or more enrichment areas, including visual arts, theater, music, dance, photography, creative writing, digital arts, crafts, gaming, or other recreational or creative disciplines.
• Excellent classroom management, behavior management, and facilitation skills.
• Must show experience and competency in the material they would like to teach (a sample lesson will be part of the interview process).
• Good communication skills and ability to work collaboratively.
• Bi-lingual in Spanish, French, or Chinese preferred.
• Open to learning and growing; all staff will learn mental health, SEL, and special needs inclusion skills and are expected to integrate them into programming.

Pay

The range for this role is $20–$25.75 an hour, where the finalist falls in this range will be based on skills and experience.

Benefits

PAL offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health insurance
• Flexible spending account options
• Employee assistance program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Pet insurance
• Life insurance
• Retirement savings options
• Generous paid time off policy
• Training and professional development

Schedule

Start Date: September 7th, 2026