Youth Development Coordinators Make a Difference in Kids' Lives
A Youth Development Coordinator is a profession that revolves around kids. If you enjoy the energy of being around kids and like the idea of being a mentor to and working for the development of kids, this might be just the career choice for you.
There are lots of organizations out there who offer youth development coordinator positions. Not all of these positions are full-time; some are only a few hours a week, or maybe 2 to 4 hours daily after school. The pay varies widely depending on the organization, but usually the average is around $35,000 a year for full-time positions.
As a youth development coordinator, you'll likely be responsible for setting up and implementing programs for kids of varying ages - anywhere from grade school through high school - and often will have the responsibility of achieving funding for these programs as well. The programs you might make available to kids may involve health, safety, and nutrition classes after school, camping and hiking on weekends, or perhaps mentoring children and teens in a gymnasium-type setting. Some youth programs are nothing more than a place for kids to hang out after school, providing them with a safe place to play or do homework until parents arrive from work.
In urban areas, many children have little or no after-school supervision, often for several hours. Some children have reported that they sometimes felt threatened by bullies or street gangs and feared being alone after school. Youth programs do away with these fears, giving children refuge, security and reassurance that they will be safe for a few hours. Some after-school programs even offer nutritious snacks, such as fruit or juice drinks and assist kids with homework, even offering tutoring services if needed. Some programs implemented in major cities also include counseling services for teens with dependencies or other issues.
Making as many services as possible available to kids and teenagers is the goal of a dedicated youth development coordinator. The needs of kids and teenagers are great and the resources are small, but the youth development coordinator is the person who makes miracles happen on tiny budgets.
The job requirements vary, depending on the organization and the resources available, but many programs require that the youth development coordinator also double as a mentor or youth leader. Other centers staff personnel especially for those positions, or utilize the services of volunteers, leaving the youth coordinator available to spend his time working on funding and other issues. Regardless of the job requirements, a desire to help kids is the most important distinction a youth development coordinator should have.
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