Community Youth Worker

Vancouver is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable and environmentally sustainable cities. Recognized among BC’s Top Employers and Canada’s Greenest Employers, the City of Vancouver is seeking colleagues who can help advance our core commitments to exceptional public service, sustainability, equity, and an outstanding quality of life for all residents.

With a strong commitment to being a City of Reconciliation, we invite you to join our dedicated team and become part of an innovative, inclusive, and engaging workplace. A career with the City of Vancouver and within the broader public service, offers meaningful work where you play a key role in ensuring equitable access to services, upholding ethical governance, and supporting the needs of citizens with integrity and dedication.

The Community Youth Worker (CYW) is responsible for planning, developing, coordinating, promoting and implementing a community-based youth services program in partnership with site programming staff and community members.

CYWs focus on two main activities in youth work:
Youth Development (direct work with children, preteens and youth ages 5-18 and their families), and Community Outreach/Development (working with the community, community programs and services on preteen and youth issues and interests). The CYW carries considerable responsibility in ensuring that these programs and the youth spaces in their community centre run effectively, safely, and successfully. In addition, CYWs have site supervisory and administrative functions, and citywide leadership and program development responsibilities.

A CYW exercises independent judgement on coordination and implementation of approved preteen and youth activities and the provision of guidance and resource referral services. Difficult or unusual problems are discussed with a supervisor or the Coordinator, Community Youth Development. The development of new programs by the CYW occurs in consultation with the community and programming staff as needed, and with the final approval by the Centre Supervisor or the Recreation Supervisor, Community Youth Development (for city-wide initiatives).

• Aligns programs with the needs and interests of preteens and youth. Facilitates development and implementation of programs to meet emerging preteen and youth needs and interests. Aligns program development, cultural needs, and Van Play, the Park Board Master Plan.
• Ensures basic needs of youth are met by one-to-one, outreach, advocacy, problem and crisis intervention, food, shelter, safety, and conflict resolution with individual youth and often their family.
• Supports individual preteens and youth to be integrated in the community centre, community programs and school. Works with community programs, services and schools to transform programs to support the development of individual youth and to support family members where appropriate.
• Provides focused support to youth in community centre programs, encouraging participation to build relationships between youth. Assists in social development and improve group dynamics. Identifies systemic barriers to participation and works with colleagues to address concerns.
• Develops and implements programs that develop health, fitness, sports, arts, culture, social skills, and relationships. This may include day camps and/or playground leader programs, and other large projects or programs involving multiple departments and/or stakeholders.
• Places youth in volunteer positions in the Centre and in community, supports youth as they build their individual capacity as leaders. Creates opportunities for youth leadership of programs.
• Supports youth to recommend and initiate program…