Lompoc Community Organizer

Position:
Community Organizer (Full-time, Santa Barbara)

Overview

Future Leaders of America (FLA) seeks a full-time Community Organizer in Santa Barbara to train and develop Latino youth and their parents as civic leaders who mobilize for positive change. The Community Organizer will work with FLA youth and parent leaders to advance health and education equity through grassroots organizing, advocacy, and voter engagement. The role co-leads campaigns addressing systemic inequities, coordinates the development and implementation of FLA’s organizing strategies, civic engagement campaigns, and advocacy efforts, and guides ongoing leadership development of youth and parent leaders.

FLA’s Mission

FLA develops youth resiliency and leadership to create long-lasting systemic change by empowering and mobilizing youth leaders to advocate for policies that improve their lives and the lives of their peers and communities.

Target Population

FLA is a community resource dedicated to enhancing the cultural, educational, and civic experiences of Latino youth on the Central Coast. We build peer-powered, community-rooted spaces where Latino youth organize, advocate, and shape the systems that affect their lives. When youth know how to use their voice, communities grow stronger, more just, and more reflective of the people who hold them together.

Brief History

Future Leaders of America (FLA) began in 1982 as a grassroots response to the lack of Latino role models in Oxnard, California. For 40 years, FLA has provided over 9,700 low-income Latino youth and their families with personal development, leadership development, educational experiences, and civic engagement opportunities in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

Position Overview

FLA is seeking a full-time Community Organizer in Santa Barbara to train and develop Latino youth and their parents as civic leaders who mobilize for positive change. The Community Organizer will work alongside FLA youth and parent leaders to advance health and education equity through grassroots organizing, advocacy, and voter engagement. The Community Organizer will co-lead campaigns that address systemic inequities, ensuring that youth voices drive solutions.

This role is responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of FLA’s organizing strategies, civic engagement campaigns, and advocacy efforts. Through base building, organizing, advocacy, and civic engagement, the Community Organizer will guide the ongoing leadership development of FLA youth and parent leaders. By equipping them with the skills to influence policies and lead collective action, the Community Organizer will build a stronger foundation for long-term change in Santa Barbara.

Essential Duties

Youth Organizing (80%)

• Develop and strengthen the leadership abilities of the Future Leaders of America Master Achievers (FLAMA) youth council by conducting biweekly youth council meetings. Build strong working relationships with all FLAMA youth council members.
• Plan and host FLAMA (youth coalition) meetings that build community, strengthen leadership skills, and energize FLA youth leaders around campaign goals and initiatives.
• Advise and train FLAMA youth and its youth council on organizing, advocacy, and strategic planning for local campaigns on health and educational disparities among the Latino community.
• Collaborate with the Health Equity Organizing Manager to implement strategies and campaigns that promote opioid, alcohol, and other drug prevention, including grant reporting, data collection and entry, and media outreach.
• Develop and maintain collaborations with local, regional, state, and national partner organizations.
• Work with the Associate Director of Leadership Development to plan, recruit, and execute FLA’s Youth Leadership Conference, University Seminars, Family Leadership Conference, Youth Organizing and Facilitation Trainings, Youth Coalitions (FLAMA), and Voter Engagement Campaigns.
• Track student participation through the internal database and collect evaluations from all participants.
• Provide logistical support to FLA youth-led events through meeting logistics, preparation, and facilitation.

Parent Organizing…