Youth Development Specialist in Des Moines, Iowa at Homes Of Oakridge Inc

The Youth Development Specialist (YDS) is a frontline youth-development professional responsible for building meaningful relationships with young people and creating safe, engaging, and intentional experiences that support their growth.

Youth Development Specialists work directly with a consistent group of young people and are among the staff members who know them best. The YDS pays attention not only to whether young people attend and participate, but also to how they are developing, what they need, where they are growing, and how the program can help them succeed.

Through relationships, structured activities, enrichment, academic support, recreation, group experiences, and everyday interactions, the Youth Development Specialist helps young people develop confidence, belonging, responsibility, leadership, social-emotional skills, positive relationships, and greater awareness of their strengths and possibilities.

This position is ideal for someone who sees youth work as more than supervising young people or keeping them busy. We are looking for individuals who want to know young people, challenge them, encourage them, expose them to new possibilities, and help them grow.