Youth Institute Program Manager

Whatcom Family YMCA•Bellingham, WA

2d•$24 - $28•Onsite

About The Position

The Youth Institute Program Manager leads the Whatcom Family YMCA’s year-round Youth Institute, a college- and career-readiness program for high school students. The role creates engaging opportunities for teens to develop leadership skills, explore creative interests, build relationships, and prepare for their futures. The program includes a summer experience and weekly school-year workshops featuring hands-on activities in creative arts, entrepreneurship, leadership, and college and career exploration. The manager mentors and supports participants, builds partnerships with schools and community organizations, and connects teens with relevant resources and experiences. The role also recruits, trains, mentors, and supervises part-time staff and volunteers; oversees program operations and registration; tracks grant-related expenses, participation, outcomes, and reporting; and ensures programming follows YMCA safety standards, youth protection policies, and applicable regulations. The position is full-time and located at the Whatcom Family YMCA in Bellingham, Washington.

Requirements

At least 2 years of experience working with teens, including prior experience serving at-risk teens, in youth development, education, community-based program delivery, or a related area.
At least 21 years of age.
Strong ability to relate to and communicate effectively with a wide and diverse group of teens.
Self-motivated, well organized, and able to manage multiple projects and deadlines using sound judgment.
Able to respond to challenging or crisis situations calmly and with good judgment.
Strong interpersonal, public relations, and communication skills with youth, families, colleagues, schools, and community partners.
Proficiency with office suite applications, including Microsoft Office or Google Suite, and ability to maintain accurate program data and reports.
Ability to meet YMCA requirements to drive YMCA vehicles as needed.
Maintain current CPR/First Aid certification and complete Child Abuse Prevention and YMCA program-specific training within required timelines.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in youth development, education, recreation, social services, or another relevant field.
At least 1 year of experience supervising staff or volunteers.
Experience with college and career readiness programs, creative arts, entrepreneurship, grant-funded programming, or teen leadership development.

Responsibilities

Plan and lead the year-round Youth Institute program, including summer programming and weekly school-year workshops.
Develop hands-on activities introducing teens to creative arts, entrepreneurship, leadership, and college and career opportunities.
Coordinate program activities, schedules, supplies, and special experiences.
Build relationships with teens and help them develop confidence, resilience, leadership skills, and a sense of belonging.
Create a welcoming and inclusive environment where participants feel valued and supported.
Encourage teens to set goals, explore their potential, and take ownership of their futures.
Build partnerships with schools, educators, community organizations, and local professionals.
Help recruit students and connect participants with experiences, resources, and relationships that support educational and career goals.
Collaborate with YMCA departments and community partners to expand opportunities for participants.
Recruit, train, mentor, and supervise part-time program staff and volunteers.
Provide guidance, feedback, and training to staff and volunteers and foster a collaborative team environment.
Manage program registration, attendance, communication, and daily operations.
Track grant-funded program expenses, participation, outcomes, and reporting deadlines.
Capture program success stories and use participant feedback and results to improve the experience.
Ensure programs meet YMCA safety standards, youth protection policies, and applicable regulations.
Model the YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.