Youthlink Activity Specialist - Enrichment (Harlem Center)

Police Athletic League, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 28,654,080 - 37,360,512; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Flexible spending account options

Employee assistance program

Tuition reimbursement

Life insurance

Retirement savings options

Generous paid time off

Job summary

The Police Athletic League, Inc. in New York City seeks a Part Time Youthlink Activity Specialist to design and facilitate engaging enrichment experiences for high school participants across arts, music, dance, writing, photography, crafts, and more.

You’ll report to the Teen Supervisor and collaborate with staff to promote inclusive, safe, and developmentally enriching programming. A high school diploma is required; two years’ youth-work preferred; bilingual abilities are a plus.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor's degree in fine arts, Performing Arts, Education, Youth Development, Recreation, Human Services, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of two years of experience working with high school-aged youth in after-school, educational, community-based, recreation, arts, or enrichment programs.
• Demonstrated experience or proficiency in enrichment areas such as visual arts, theater, music, dance, photography, creative writing, digital arts, crafts, gaming, or similar disciplines.
• Excellent classroom management, behavior management, and facilitation skills.
• Good communication and ability to work collaboratively; bi-lingual preferred in Spanish, French, or Chinese.

Responsibilities

• Foster social and emotional competencies and well-being in a safe, inclusive environment.
• Teach fundamentals of enrichment activities to build skills and confidence.
• Coordinate and present a culminating performance at the end of each cycle.
• Support students with IEPs and special needs through appropriate plans.
• Provide referrals for mental health services as needed.
• Work cooperatively with staff, teachers, and program personnel.
• Build positive relationships with youth and caretakers; model appropriate behavior.
• Attend staff meetings and professional development; maintain open communication with caretakers.

Skills

Facilitation skills

Classroom management

Communication skills

Collaboration

Bi-lingual

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Associate or bachelor's in related field preferred

Job description

Position:

Youthlink Activity Specialist- Enrichment

Who we are:

The Police Athletic League (PAL) of New York City is an independent youth development nonprofit organization and has been a vibrant and vital institution, serving as an effective, critical bridge between police and communities across all five boroughs of the City since 1914. PAL operates diverse programs for children as young as 2 years old to young adults. Programs include Head Start, after-school programs and summer day camps for elementary, middle and high school youth, and summer Playstreets. PAL also runs evening teen centers and college readiness programs, youth employment, and juvenile justice programs. Staying true to PAL’s roots, a cornerstone of our youth development strategy includes offering competitive and recreational sports for children of all ages. At PAL, we’re devoted to empowering communities and building the best places to work, and that goes for our own teams too.

Position Summary

We are looking for Part Time Youthlink Activity Specialists who will design and facilitate engaging, high-quality enrichment experiences that inspire creativity, self-expression, and skill development for high school participants. Specialists lead activities in areas such as performing arts, visual arts, music, dance, creative writing, photography, crafts, gaming, and other recreational interests that encourage exploration, confidence, and collaboration.

The Youthlink Activity Specialist will report to the Teen Supervisor and be supported by the Youthlink Director.

What You’ll Do

• Foster social and emotional competencies and mental and physical well-being in a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and nurturing environment.
• Teach participants the fundamentals of specialized activity to build their skill level and confidence.
• Coordinate and present a culminating performance at the end of the program cycle.
• Be aware of students with IEPs and medical conditions in your groups and follow support plans to help the student with special needs to thrive.
• Respond appropriately when time-sensitive mental health services are needed such as suicide prevention, grief, and loss due to death or incarceration of a family member. Provide referrals to appropriate mental health services as needed.
• Work cooperatively with Group Leaders, professional staff, teachers, and other Program and school staff.
• Build positive relationships with youth and caretakers and serve as a role model with respect to demeanor, communication, and behavior.
• Attend meetings with staff, caretakers, volunteers, and community residents as needed.
• Interact with caretakers and keep open lines of communication.

The Commitment

• Able to work (varies by site)
• Able to attend 15 hours of orientation prior to the beginning of programming and complete 30 hours of Building Resiliency in Youth training.
• Able to attend scheduled staff meetings and professional development throughout the year.

Qualifications

What you bring:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor's degree in fine arts, Performing Arts, Education, Youth Development, Recreation, Human Services, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of two years of experience working with high school-aged youth in after-school, educational, community-based, recreation, arts, or enrichment programs.
• Demonstrated experience or proficiency in one or more enrichment areas, including visual arts, theater, music, dance, photography, creative writing, digital arts, crafts, gaming, or other recreational or creative disciplines.
• Excellent classroom management, behavior management, and facilitation skills.
• Must show experience and competency in the material they would like to teach. A sample lesson will be part of the interview process.
• Good communication skills and ability to work collaboratively. Bi-lingual in Spanish, French, or Chinese preferred.
• Open to learning and growing. All staff will be learning mental health, SEL, and special needs inclusion skills and expected to integrate them into programming.

Compensation:

The range for this role is $20-25.75 an hour where the finalist falls in this range will be commensurate with skills and experience.

Benefits:

PAL offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes health insurance, flexible spending account options, an employee assistance program, tuition reimbursement, pet insurance, life insurance, retirement savings options, a generous paid time off policy, training and more!

Location:

Start Date: September 7th, 2026

At the Police Athletic League, we seek people who are talented, creative and passionate to help create a more inclusive city and better futures for our youth. We’re devoted to empowering communities and building the best places to work, and that goes for our own teams too.

The Police Athletic League is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected characteristic including, but not limited to, an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy

Employment with PAL is contingent upon successful completion of all the Agency’s lawful pre-employment checks, which may include a background check.