Summer Youth Program Assistant

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy•San Francisco, CA

3d•$21•Onsite

About The Position

This position is specifically designed for currently enrolled high school/GED/college students. This is a work-based learning experience for young leaders and provides professional development opportunities for young people in the park. The minimum age for this position is 16. Since 1981, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (Parks Conservancy) has served as the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, collaborating with the Presidio Trust, partners, donors, and the community to support the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The GGNRA stretches across three Bay Area counties north and south of the Golden Gate Bridge and includes iconic places such as Muir Woods National Monument, Fort Point National Historic Site, Alcatraz Island, Crissy Field, Mori Point, Lands End, and the Presidio of San Francisco. The Parks Conservancy engages at the intersection of national park sites, local communities, social justice, and climate resilience. Collaborating with partners, our staff are dedicated to enhancing public awareness and providing volunteer and educational opportunities in the parks. We are park builders, caretakers, ambassadors and educators, all working to connect people to parks in support of our vision Parks for All Forever . Join us. The Parks Conservancy Youth Programs team prioritizes individuals, groups, and communities that national parks and conservation organizations have failed to previously serve. Our programs encourage new generations to become bold leaders for thriving parks, healthy communities, and a more environmentally just society. Our programs erase boundaries between communities and the environment. Each program is community driven and inspired. Our programs focus on teaching participants about social and environmental issues while building leadership skills that can contribute to positive change. Our programs engage youth across the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and in their individual communities. Our programs span multiple counties and work with a variety of partnerships. To deliver our programs the Crissy Field Center works with partners like the One Tam Collaborative, National Park Service, and Presidio Trust. These partners provide opportunities for youth to engage in stewardship, conservation, and volunteer work. Our department is in the Presidio of San Francisco at the bottom of “Tunnel Tops”. We are hiring 10 Summer Youth Program Assistants.  The term for these positions is June 6th 2026 – August 5th 2026. The Summer Youth Program Assistants are responsible for supporting the Conservancy’s Youth Programs staff in the support and facilitation of leadership and education programs for local youth. The Summer Youth Program Assistants supervise and mentor middle school age youth through activities centering around team/community building, environmental science, environmental justice, service learning, outdoor experiences, visual art, wellness, and leadership development. In addition to program delivery, the Summer Youth Program Assistants help to ensure all youth program participants have a safe, fun, and meaningful summer.  Programs take place at the Crissy Field Center, in parks, at schools, and in communities of the youth we serve. During Summer 2026 (June-August), the Summer Youth Program Assistants will primarily support the Urban Trailblazers (UTB) Middle School Leadership Program. Some of the primary activities of UTB include outdoor adventures such as camping and hiking, leadership development workshops, project-based learning, and service learning. Program participants spend 6 weeks building community and growing together. The Summer Youth Program Assistants typically work a Tuesday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm schedule and occasionally 2-3 Mondays. There is the possibility to have schedules shifted to accommodate overnight trips, field trips, and training. The Summer Youth Program Assistants are expected to support with the facilitation of 2-3 or more overnight camping trips during the summer. Schedules, including any irregular hours, overtime hours, and overnight trips, will be planned with supervisor support and approval. Summer Youth Program Assistants will work in-person and is based at the Crissy Field Center in the Presidio. The Community and Youth Programs Department is looking for candidates with one or more of the following competencies: Excited to build community with Bay Area youth Challenge youth to learn and grow through workshops, outdoor activities, projects, and community building Join a team of youth workers to make sure all participants have a fun and meaningful summer. Not having these skills will not disqualify applicants from consideration.

Requirements

Ability to be creative, energetic, and self-motivated.
Skilled at taking initiative and recognizing what needs to be done.
Ability to multi-task effectively.
An outgoing communicator with good interpersonal skills.
Must be able to take direction and feedback in a constructive manner.
Excited about service and enjoy interacting with youth
Passion for connecting with others, especially youth.
Able to work independently using sound judgement and decision-making skills.
Able to work in a team setting and understand shared responsibilities
Ability to communicate needs or ideas to enhance overall experience for youth in summer programs.

Nice To Haves

Prefer previous experience in youth program
Lived or worked experience in San Francisco Bay Area communities
Multilingual: able to speak language(s) other than English that serve bay area communities
Current and past youth program participants are HIGHLY recommended to apply (LINC, IYEL, UTB)

Responsibilities

Supports youth participants in outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking, camping, team-building activities, service learning, and environmental education lessons.
Supports project-based learning curriculum for youth.
Supports in-classroom activities and presentations.
Assists with lesson planning.
Supports overnight camping trips with youth.
Assists with program planning for overnight programs.
Supports youth with interdisciplinary projects.
Helps creates a physically and emotionally safe space for youth to engage in the outdoors
Prepares materials for activities.
Cleans up after activities.
Supports program staff in developing short-term and long-term goals for youth.
Supports supervision of middle school age youth.
Models healthy and supportive behavior for youth participants.
Supports lessons that support leadership and professional career skills for youth participants.
With direction from program staff, it provides positive and constructive feedback to youth.
Supports program staff in communicating with program partners.
Supports with program evaluation and reporting.
Other Duties as Assigned