Youth engagement specialist

Youth Engagement Specialist

The Youth Engagement Specialist will play a key role in Casa Myrna’s prevention and education work with young people throughout Boston. This position focuses on educating youth about domestic and dating violence, facilitating healing and community building, and promoting a culture shift through mentorship, group activities, and interactive workshops. Working in collaboration with the Program Manager and Peer Leaders, the Specialist will lead innovative programming that empowers youth, supports survivors, and fosters long-term change.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

• Support and co-lead the Peer Leader Program, planning and facilitating workshops and youth-centered activities in collaboration with the Program Manager.
• Co-facilitate educational and prevention workshops in schools and community settings, with a focus on youth impacted by dating and domestic violence.
• Assist with the development and implementation of a digital prevention campaign in partnership with an external organization.
• Cultivate relationships with local colleges to expand engagement efforts to youth ages 18–24.
• Build and maintain partnerships with community organizations that serve youth aged 14–24.
• Provide training and support to partner organizations on topics related to dating/domestic violence, healthy relationships, and trauma-informed response.
• Regularly update and improve workshop content to reflect current youth needs and ensure culturally relevant, trauma-informed delivery.
• Coordinate social media aspects of the digital campaign, including content creation, scheduling, and strategy.
• Serve as the primary liaison to designated partner organizations to maintain strong collaboration and communication.
• Collaborate with the Program Manager to build and manage a network of referrals and community resources.
• Foster relationships with advocates, government agencies, and other stakeholders to strengthen Casa Myrna’s prevention work and services for youth.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of all services provided, including database entries and required reporting.
• Represent Casa Myrna at community meetings, partner events, and collaborative networks.
• Participate in professional development opportunities, including internal and external trainings, workshops, and conferences.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by supervisor and agency leadership.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Experience working with diverse youth, especially those impacted by trauma, violence, or marginalization.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, facilitation, and crisis intervention skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Experience creating and leading educational workshops or youth development activities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and comfort with social media platforms.
• Skilled in maintaining accurate records and generating reports.
• Ability to work across multiple settings and adapt to changing priorities and environments.
• Deep commitment to Casa Myrna’s mission of ending domestic and dating violence and advancing social justice.
• Understanding of the intersections of violence and systems of oppression, including racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and poverty.
• Passion for youth empowerment and creating safe, inclusive learning environments.
• Comfort working with diverse cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic communities.
• Access to reliable transportation and willingness to travel throughout Boston.
• Flexibility to work evenings and/or weekends as needed.
• Fluency in a language other than English strongly preferred—especially Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, or Haitian Creole.
• Lived experience or strong identification with a marginalized community.
• Prior experience in schools, after-school programs, or community-based youth services.
• Familiarity with the Boston/Massachusetts education system.

Salary : $50,000k-$55,000 Annually

Location : Boston Grove Hall and surrounding sites

Hours : full-time (4 days and 35 hours/week) Summer Hours 8-4.30 M-F

Benefits: Casa Myrna offers: family friendly schedule; generous paid time off and holidays; health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance; flexible spending account; health reimbursement account; retirement savings plan with employer match; Employee Assistance Program; and opportunities for professional development

Casa Myrna is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity and hiring people with diverse life experiences. Survivors, people who are bilingual/bicultural, persons of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people are strongly encouraged to apply.

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed during the recruitment process, email [email protected].

Casa Myrna is Greater Boston’s foremost provider of solutions to end domestic and dating violence. The agency operates three residential programs in Boston for survivors and children made homeless by domestic violence and commercial sexual exploitation, offers a comprehensive range of advocacy and supportive services, and runs SafeLink—Massachusetts’ statewide 24/7 toll-free domestic violence hotline. Casa Myrna is committed to ensuring every relationship is safe and healthy, and works to end abuse through education, awareness, and prevention.