Youth Worker

ABOUT RED HOOK INITIATIVE (RHI)

Red Hook Initiative (RHI) is a community-based nonprofit working to improve the lives of the more than 6,500 residents of Red Hook Houses, Brooklyn's largest public housing complex. RHI believes that the social change to overcome systemic inequities begins with empowered youth, and that change in communities should come from within. In partnership with community adults, we nurture young people in Red Hook to be inspired, resilient, and healthy, and to envision themselves as co-creators of their lives, community, and society.

Youth development, community building, and community hiring are at the core of RHI's approach to strengthen Red Hook's future. Our model gives young people and residents the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to interrupt the systems and barriers that perpetuate historic inequities for the community. Residents lead the way toward a more equitable, hopeful future. Over our 20-year history, RHI's model and dedicated team have been nationally recognized for its innovative, place-based approach to social change.

RHI creates a culture of excellence with our ten core values as the foundation: community leadership, mutual respect, welcoming space, strengths-based perspective, trust, high expectations, encouragement, inspiration, holistic approach and adaptability.

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JOB SUMMARY

The Youth Worker will assist in providing programs and services to young people in RHI's Youth Development & Socio-Emotional Learning Department. This Youth Worker position will facilitate workshops based on the needs of the program as a floater. This person is also responsible for planning and executing learning excursions for school-aged participants (Middle school & High school). The Youth Worker is passionate about engaging youth and continuing to learn about youth development. The ideal candidate is willing to commit to at least one full year, working weekday afternoons.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES + RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and assist with youth groups (middle and high school) that promote team building, social-emotional learning, leadership, and structured enrichment activities.
• Facilitate programs by leading at least two middle school groups and one high school group per program cycle (three cycles per year).
• Support trips and events, including afterschool, holiday camp, and summer Freedom Schools programming; ensure active engagement and safe supervision of youth at all times.
• Plan and accompany field trips with educational, recreational, service, or creative purposes, incorporating input from youth, families, and staff.
• Co-create curriculum and activities in collaboration with the Program Manager and team.
• Assist in youth recruitment and retention efforts, engaging young people from Red Hook in RHI programs and services.
• Partner with external facilitators by helping coordinate sessions and maintaining youth participation.
• Maintain accurate program records, including daily attendance, weekly logs, and documentation for compliance.
• Communicate regularly with supervisors, participating in weekly supervision sessions with the Manager of Youth Development.
• Attend required team and organizational meetings, contributing to a culture of collaboration.
• Participate in ongoing training to strengthen facilitation skills and meet requirements of RHI's School-Aged Child Care (SACC) license.

May be assigned other duties and responsibilities as determined by the Manager of Youth Development.

COMPETENCIES (Knowledge, Skills & Personal Attributes)

• Experience working with and relating to young people ages 11 to 18.
• Ability to design and facilitate engaging activities.
• Experience with Zoom, Google Hangouts, or other virtual platforms.
• Willingness to collaborate on projects and work with a team.
• Must be enthusiastic about continuous training in youth development, facilitation, behavior management, etc.
• Must be enthusiastic about community-based work.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of child and youth development and the ability to use this knowledge to achieve the goals of the program.
• Ability to comply with applicable safety and emergency requirements.
• Ability to promote an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful environment that embraces diversity.
• Ability to foster academic and non-academic skills and broaden participant horizons.
• Ability to effectively implement curricula and program activities.
• Ability to promote responsible and healthy decision-making among all participants.
• Ability to develop leadership, team-building, and self-advocacy skills among participants.
• Ability to behave professionally

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• High School Diploma or equivalent required; college student (or graduate) preferred
• Social-emotional learning experience
• Red Hook resident or former resident preferred.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish/Mandarin) preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS (ENVIRONMENT) & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• The RHI work environment is characteristic of a typical indoor office/program environment and the noise level is generally quiet to moderate.
• While performing administrative duties the employee will operate a computer and other office equipment. During this time the employee may sit or stand at will. During youth program hours, there is more movement (e.g. standing and walking, moving tables and chairs to set up the room).
• RHI provides a hybrid work arrangement for employees, when possible. In this role, a hybrid schedule may be arranged when direct services are not in session.
• This job is primarily based on-site at RHI's main program office in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The ideal candidate will either be a resident of Red Hook or one of its neighboring communities or will be within reasonable commuting distance of RHI's main program office.

The ideal candidate should be able to meet the physical demands of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

COMMITMENT TO DEI & EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

RHI actively engages individuals from all backgrounds and is committed to embracing diversity across all areas and aspects of the organization. We firmly believe that an atmosphere of civility and mutual respect towards individual differences and embracing an inclusive and equitable environment is indispensable to building a successful organization, contributing to a positive and meaningful employment experience for staff, and advancing the best possible outcomes for the clients served by RHI's programs. We are also committed to community hiring and supporting the job prospects of Red Hook residents.

As an equal opportunity employer, RHI is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information, or any other characteristic or basis prohibited by applicable law.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

RHI strives to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package that reflects our core values and commitment to our employees. This is a part-time, non-exempt position, requiring 15 hours per week on-site from 3pm-6pm Monday through Thursday with remote work on Fridays, hours, based on the program schedule. The salary is $20/hour. Additionally, RHI provides a comprehensive benefits package that includes an employee assistance program (EAP), which includes 12 counseling sessions per year, flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket health, dependent and commuter expenses, and a flexible hybrid work schedule, including NYSick Time and "Summer Fridays," when possible.

TO APPLY

Please log on to the RHI career portal at: to apply for this position. Please be prepared to upload your cover letter and resume as one combined pdf document.

Date Issued: October 17, 2025