Youth Organizer (Part-Time)

The Gem Project, Inc.; Newark (NJ); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 34,000; Part time

Job summary

The Gem Project, Inc. seeks a Youth Organizer for the 2026-2027 academic year. This part-time, hybrid role focuses on base-building, school visits, canvassing, and online engagement to grow the Youth Power Action coalition in Newark.

You will work 15-20 hours per week with paid training week starting Oct 5, 2026, and report to the Program Manager. The position emphasizes leadership, youth voice, equity, and democracy, with opportunities for future staff roles.

Qualifications

• Recent graduate, alum, or advanced fellow with youth or community organizing experience.
• Strong communication skills, in person and digital.
• Passion for youth voice, equity and democracy.
• Reliable, organized, able to work some evenings and Saturdays.
• Comfortable in schools and community settings.

Responsibilities

• Base building and outreach: recruit peers through school visits and community events.
• Lead and co-lead 1,000 Turnout Sessions with facilitators.
• Manage Youth Power Action platform content and engagement.
• Coordinate canvassing sessions, logistics, and safety with the Program Manager.
• Draft short content and capture youth stories in field.

Skills

Youth organizing

Community outreach

Strong communication

Social media savvy

Public engagement

Education

Recent graduate / alum / advanced fellow

Job description

The Gem Project, Inc. | Academic Year 2026 to 2027

OVERVIEW

Role type

Part-time academic year role, renewable annually

Rate

$20 to $25 per hour, based on experience

Hours

15-20 hours per week (with potential full-time consideration at year-end)

Location

Hybrid. In-person program presence in Newark, plus school visits and community canvassing.

Reports to

Program Manager

Positions open

1

Monday, October 5, 2026 (paid training week)

Term

October 2026 through May 2027, following the academic calendar

ABOUT THE GEM PROJECT AND YOUTH POWER ACTION

The Gem Project convenes the Youth Power Action Coalition (YPA), a growing youth-led movement in Newark and beyond. YPA is where young people organize, build power, and hold institutions accountable. The Youth Organizer is the person who makes that movement feel like a place young people belong, not just a program they complete.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This role is designed for a recent graduate, alum, or advanced fellow ready to grow as a lead organizer. The Youth Organizer builds the base: on the ground through school visits, canvassing, and 1,000 Turnout Sessions, and online through the Youth Power Action platform. This role does not deliver our fellowship curriculum. It is movement building.

The Youth Organizer works closely with the two College Fellow Facilitators and reports to the Program Manager. Strong performance in this role is a pathway to advanced organizing positions and staff leadership in future cycles.

HOW THE WEEK WORKS

The bulk of the 15-20 hours is spent in the field: school visits, community outreach, canvassing, and 1,000 Turnout Sessions. The balance covers YPA platform activation, content, and weekly reporting. You will hold a weekly check-in with the Program Manager and join a Friday team processing session with the facilitator team. The exact schedule is set with the Program Manager during onboarding.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Base building and outreach

• Conduct 2 to 3 school visits per week to recruit peers into YPA, the fellowship, and 1,000 Turnout Sessions
• Table at community events; build relationships with student clubs, teachers, and community partners
• Support and co-lead 1,000 Turnout Sessions alongside the College Fellow Facilitators

Youth Power Action platform

• Post weekly content (polls, youth spotlights, calls to action) on youthpoweraction.com
• Moderate discussions and encourage new youth to contribute
• Run monthly giveaways and track engagement metrics
• Grow both the online base and the offline base as connected work, not separate tracks

Canvassing and civic engagement

• Support Saturday canvassing sessions (attendance, logistics, debrief)
• Track canvassing results and follow-ups
• Coordinate rides, materials, and safety protocols with the Program Manager

Content and data

• Draft short content (captions, platform blurbs, campaign asks)
• Capture stories and short videos from youth in the field
• Submit weekly engagement and outreach data to the program tracker

WHAT WE EXPECT

THE RHYTHM OF THIS ROLE

A weekly structure you can count on: a standing check-in with your Program Manager and a Friday team processing session with the facilitator team. Field work carries real independence, and the weekly touchpoints are what keep that independence working in your favor.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Recent graduate, alum, or advanced fellow with youth or community organizing experience (encouraged, not mandatory)
• Strong communication skills, in person and digital, and a real feel for social media
• Passion for youth voice, equity, and democracy
• Reliable, organized, and available to work some evenings and Saturdays
• Comfortable in public settings: schools, community events, doorstep conversations

ACADEMIC YEAR CALENDAR

Paid training week

October 5 through October 9, 2026

Fall term

Tuesday October 13 through Thursday December 17, 2026 (10 program weeks)

Winter break

December 18, 2026 through February 6, 2027 (unpaid)

Spring term

Tuesday February 9 through Thursday May 27, 2027 (16 program weeks)

Total paid weeks

27 weeks across the academic year

Program days connect to Tuesday and Thursday. Saturday canvassing runs on select weeks. Exact times and calendar set with the Program Manager and confirmed at onboarding.

RENEWAL

This role concludes in May 2027. It is renewable for the following academic year, but renewal is not automatic. Those who want to return submit a brief renewal application in the spring, and decisions are based on performance across the year. We say this plainly up front so that returning is something you earn, not something you wonder about.

The Gem Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate and center diversity. We extend equal opportunities to employees, job applicants, interns, and volunteers regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status.