Youthlink Activity Specialist - Service Learning (Polo Grounds Cornerstone)

Police Athletic League, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Flexible spending account options

Employee assistance program

Tuition reimbursement

Pet insurance

Life insurance

Retirement savings options

Paid time off

Job summary

Police Athletic League, Inc. seeks a Youthlink Activity Specialist- Service Learning in New York, NY. The role focuses on connecting high school youth to their communities through volunteerism, civic engagement, and leadership development.

You will design service-learning projects, cultivate partnerships, and guide youth through reflection, ensuring safe activities aligned with program goals and community needs.

Qualifications

• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Experience coordinating volunteer projects or service-learning programs.
• Open to learning and integrating mental health, SEL, and inclusivity approaches.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate service-learning projects and civic engagement activities.
• Develop partnerships with nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and community stakeholders.
• Facilitate reflection activities and ensure safety and alignment with program goals.
• Build relationships with youth and caretakers and serve as a positive role model.
• Attend meetings with staff, caretakers, volunteers, and community residents.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Planning

Civic engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Position: Youthlink Activity Specialist- Service Learning

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

Service Learning Specialists are responsible for developing and facilitating meaningful experiences that connect high school youth to their communities through volunteerism, civic engagement, and leadership development. Specialists design projects that combine community service with reflection, skill-building, and youth voice, helping participants understand the impact of civic responsibility while developing leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. They cultivate partnerships with nonprofit organizations, schools, community groups, and local stakeholders to create engaging service opportunities that address community needs. We are looking for passionate individuals who can inspire youth to become active citizens, build meaningful community connections, and foster a lifelong commitment to service.

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

What You’ll Do

Major Duties & Responsibilities

• Foster social and emotional competencies and mental and physical well-being in a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and nurturing environment.
• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate service-learning projects, volunteer opportunities, and civic engagement activities that promote leadership, community involvement, and positive youth development. Implement professionally developed curricula.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with nonprofit organizations, schools, government agencies, and community stakeholders to identify meaningful service opportunities and coordinate youth participation.
• Facilitate reflection activities before, during, and after service experiences, monitor participant engagement and outcomes, maintain required documentation, and ensure all service activities are conducted safely and in alignment with program goals.
• 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:

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Social Work, Human Services, Youth Development, Public Administration, Community Development, Nonprofit Management, or a related field preferred. College coursework in the above subjects will also be considered.
• Minimum of two years of experience working with high school-aged youth in youth development, education, volunteer management, community engagement, civic education, or service-learning programs.
• Experience planning and coordinating volunteer projects, community service initiatives, or civic engagement activities with youth.
• 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

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

• 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

Location: Polo Grounds Cornerstone - New York, NY

Start Date

Start Date: September 7th, 2026

Company Culture

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.

EEO Statement

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

Background Check

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