We're Hiring! 2 Youth Organizers

Position: Youth Organizer
Reports to: Organizing Director
Classification: 1.0 FTE (40 hours / week)
Deadline: Ongoing, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled
Ideal start date: July 31, 2023
Salary: $60,000 – $65,000 with room to grow
Location: Seattle, WA (hybrid; mostly in-person)

Please submit cover letter, resume and three references to:

Email: [email protected]
Subject: Youth Organizer (FULL NAME)
No phone calls please.

FEEST is an Equal Opportunity Employer. People of color, queer, gay, lesbian and/or bisexual people, transgender, genderqueer and/or non-binary folks are encouraged to apply. Work is performed in a hybrid setting, partially from home and increasingly on-site at the office as well as in schools and community settings. Some heavy lifting and physical labor is required during special events. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

FEEST’s Vision for Society:

We envision a society where working-class youth and families of color are thriving in vibrant, politically powerful communities. We see this society built on values that include, but are not limited to:

Transformative racial, economic, and environmental justice
- Eliminating oppression at its roots, prioritizing equity, and ensuring that everyone can live a healthy life on a sustainable planet
Interdependence and Collective Liberation
- Recognizing that our struggles are linked and that we need to build trust with each other and work together to achieve liberation for all people
Self-determination
- Those most impacted by injustice should be the primary decision makers on how to address it
Creativity and radical joy!
- We embrace our natural impulses for happiness and creativity to connect with each other, build community, and energize our movements

FEEST’s Vision for Schools:

We envision a today where youth of color and working class youth exercise their power to change systems that serve them so that they can thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally. In our vision, schools are vibrant learning centers that reflect the students they serve and support the long-term growth and holistic wellness of students and our communities.

Our Mission:

FEEST trains youth of color and working-class youth to build collective power and organize for transformative and systemic change in their schools.

About FEEST:

FEEST trains youth of color and working-class youth to build collective power and organize for transformative and systemic change in their schools. Our power comes from building a strong base, developing youth leaders, and running dynamic, radically joyful campaigns for systemic material change. Our work is both youth-led and multigenerational.

Our roots started in food justice and through that, we have won systemic improvements in school food in Highline and Seattle Public Schools. Since the 2020 campaign to remove police from Seattle Public Schools, we have expanded our campaign goals to include a wide range of systemic solutions that improve student wellness at school.

Primary Job Responsibilities:

Train students to organize, build power, and win policy changes in their school district. Manage youth base building, leadership development, and execution of powerful campaigns to increase pressure on decision makers and win tangible improvements in South Seattle and South King County.

Basebuilding (30%) –

Build a 10% student base and a 10% teacher base at each school through consistent 1:1s

Create clear monthly recruitment goals and outreach system to increase membership
Train youth to recruit new members at their schools through 1:1s and a diverse, creative range of outreach activities that agitate the base and connect to their self-interest
Support, evaluate progress, and hold youth accountable for carrying out outreach plan
Plan and execute base building events with student organizers
- Both virtual and in-person (safety permitting)
- Buying and coordinating supplies, volunteers, and food needed
Cultivate deep relationships with students community partners, and staff at each school to increase knowledge of schools and be responsive to youth and staff needs
Steward school and district relationships. This includes prompt communication and relationship management with Decision Makers, school staff, allies, community partners

Youth Leadership Development (30%) –

Student organizers are trained to organize engaging and effective campaigns

Design and facilitate dynamic and energizing organizing programming and skill building with student organizers; plan youth skill building and development each quarter
Train youth to:
- Build a 10% base of students and teachers at their school through 1:1s
- Identify problems and solutions that are widely felt and deeply felt at their school and in their district
- Build engaging campaigns for tangible solutions in their school district; execute tactics that build the base or increase pressure on decision makers
- Facilitate and agitate their peers in basebuilding events, New Member Orientation
- Run meetings with Decision Makers
- Lead workshops and present externally about FEEST’s campaign goals
Coordinate and facilitate 2-4 student organizer meetings a week in person and online
- Collaboratively create each week’s all-district meeting agenda and curriculum plan
- Independently create individual district meeting agendas; adapting curriculum to meet the needs of your team and school district’s political landscape
Create leadership development plan for youth with clear goals and leadership roles; support growth through regular check-ins
Co-design and facilitate a two-week youth organizing summer camp for incoming leaders. Responsibilities include: Developing curriculum on youth organizing, food justice, skill building, leadership development; managing new partnerships, guest speakers, volunteers; coordinating food and transportation logistics
Use trauma-informed care practices to support students in their learning and decision-making. Create healthy boundaries and structure to ensure the FEEST meetings are welcoming, accessible, and safe for students

Executing Campaigns for Systemic Change (30%) –

Student organizers and Youth Organizer run campaigns with clear solutions directed at a decision maker

Support youth campaign research by running engaging strategies to collect community feedback, researching policies, elected officials, campaign tactics
Support student organizers in developing comprehensive organizing strategy, powermapping, and executing tactics to put pressure on Decision Makers
Adapt strategy and tactics to decision makers and youth in your team and district
Consistently evaluate goals, give feedback, and ensure success of campaign in your district

Build the Organization and Movement (5%) –

Engage in collective visioning with staff and youth to create FEEST’s organizing strategy
Participate in assessments regarding the overall health of our organization and member participation
Regularly assess the political landscape to explore new relationships to build our power and organizing skills

Admin & Org – Wide (5%) –

Campaign planning is efficient, all team events are supported with a collaborative spirit

Create efficient and proactive work plan to execute strategic program outcome goals
Meticulously track fellow attendance, time sheets, program budgeting
Coordinate annual outreach and hiring of new student organizers
Participate in team-wide fundraising activities including phone banking and individual asks

Required Qualifications:

Unapologetically rooted in social justice, equity, and committed to apply racial, gender and economic justice lenses in both personal and workplace context
Commitment to building youth power, leadership, creativity, and joy
Lived experience or demonstrated professional skills working with racially and economically diverse individuals and communities, including working class, immigrant/refugees, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ populations
Ability to build strong interpersonal relationships
Strong critical thinking skills, creative problem solver, adaptable and flexible
Effective writing, attention to detail
Ability to take initiative and be assertive, strong time management skills
Integrates and offers feedback in a growth-oriented way; willingness to practice principled struggle
Sense of humor and playfulness

Desired Qualifications:

Experience working with youth, in school systems, or in South Seattle/South King County
Experience working with youth-led groups or organizations and/or taking leadership from youth.
Training and/or experience in trauma-informed care

Additional Information:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is currently a partially remote-work position but candidates should be prepared to work in the office and on campus at Franklin, Chief Sealth, Rainier Beach, Tyee, and Evergreen High Schools. FEEST is unable to provide relocation assistance.
Access to a vehicle is highly recommended. Our program sites are far-reaching across White Center, South Seattle, Rainier Beach and Sea-Tac and our office is not very accessible by transit.
Salary: $60,000 – $65,000 with room to grow
We provide full medical, dental and vision benefits, generous paid time off, temporary work from home stipends, and access to professional development each year.
We follow COVID-19 guidelines provided by our school partners and funders in our current contracts, which requires all staff to present documentation confirming they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a medical exemption.