The City of Austin's Development Services Department (DSD) is seeking a Youth Program Specialist to oversee the planning and implementation of the Youth Forest Council. In alignment with the Austin Urban Forest Plan and Austin’s Strategic Direction 2023, the Youth Forest Council is a yearlong, paid internship program that provides opportunity for young people in Austin to connect with our urban forest and develop pathways to successful careers in forestry, natural resources, or civil service, with a particular focus on access and equity. The Youth Program Specialist position is part of the Urban Forestry Program housed in the Development Services Department.

The Mission of the Urban Forestry Program is to enhance Austin’s quality of life by fostering a healthy urban forest for all. The goals of our program are:

• Support tree planting and related activities that maintain and increase urban tree canopy
• .Provide up-to-date information to enable people to make responsible decisions related to trees.
• Support urban forest health by promoting best practices for tree care.
• Foster a lasting culture of stewardship by moving Austinites towards a deeper appreciation of our community’s trees.
• Ensure that organizational capacity and structure support a healthy program.
  

Core Responsibilities:
The Youth Program Specialist will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Youth Forest Council internship, including but not limited to:

• Developing and facilitating curriculum to create a courageous and supportive environment for young people
• Supporting interns in project-based work and connecting them to resources in the city and beyond
• Working with interns to ensure their needs and goals are being met, daily and long-term
• Managing the program budget and all program files, records, and supplies
• Evaluating the ongoing success of the program and making recommendations for improvement
• Recruiting young people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds for participation in the Youth Forest Council by partnership-building, creating and delivering thoughtful marketing materials, giving community presentations, etc.

The Youth Program Specialist works in partnership with a Co-Facilitating Youth Intern who has previously completed the Youth Forest Council internship. In addition to the responsibilities above, the Youth Program Specialist will have the opportunity to work on select special projects in alignment with the Urban Forestry Program goals.

Learn more about qualifications and apply at: https://bit.ly/yfc-hiring