Nova Scotia Youth & Food

Position: Youth Engagement Coordinator
Organization: Nourish Nova Scotia
Location: This role is open to candidates living and working in Nova Scotia, and the Nourish office is in Halifax. Flexible / hybrid / and remote work arrangements are available.

• Start Date: October 2024
• Reports to: Program Development Coordinator
• Terms of Employment: 
  • $54,000- $60,000 annually
  • 35hours/week
  • Cost-shared benefits plan
  • 3 weeks per year vacation
  • 10 sick/wellness days
• Deadline for Application: September 26th, 2024

About Nourish Nova Scotia

Nourish Nova Scotia is a registered charity that provides leadership and support to create healthy food environments for young people across Nova Scotia. This means working in close connection with schools and communities to increase access to nutritious and culturally appropriate foods for young people; build knowledge, skills, confidence and connection in relation to food; and enhance school and community-based infrastructure for diverse food & garden programs.

Our goal is to support the nutritional well-being of young people and to nurture positive food experiences through experiential learning, connecting with others around food, and spending time in the natural landscapes from which our food comes.

Currently, we are seeking a Coordinator of Youth Engagement to support our work in creating inclusive and welcoming environments for young people to engage and lead in a range of food-related program and policy initiatives. As our work across school and community settings continues to grows, we are committed to ensuring that young people can not only engage as active participants, but also as co-designers and co-collaborators across our program areas; In doing so, we aim to support generations of food leaders - equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence to drive impactful solutions related to the cultivation of healthy, just and sustainable food systems.

Nourish Nova Scotia is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Applicants from the following groups are encouraged to self-identify when applying for this opportunity: African Nova Scotian, Mi’kmaq or Indigenous, other visible minorities, 2SLGBTQIA+ or person(s) with mental or physical disabilities.

About the Role:

The Youth Engagement Coordinator will work with the Nourish team and diverse school and community partners to facilitate and support youth engagement and leadership across a range of food-based initiatives. They will work to strengthen the skills, processes, and capabilities of Nourish staff in relation to inclusive and participatory youth engagement practices. They will work to build diverse partnerships with organizations and youth groups to strengthen existing and emerging initiatives at Nourish, and ultimately support young people across Nova Scotia in activating change in relation to food systems and food sovereignty.

About You

You are an experienced youth leader who is energized by working alongside diverse young people to surface ideas and creativity that help spark positive, community level change. You have experience with youth engagement and a solid understanding of community development approaches. You are someone who excels at fostering welcoming and inclusive spaces for young people to thrive, be creative, and participate in their schools and communities in meaningful ways. You are passionate about food systems and food sovereignty and enjoy getting creative in food and garden spaces.

You are a great problem solver and community animator— finding spaces, identifying opportunities, and seeking new partnerships in support of developing a growing network of spaces and projects that support youth-driven action. You are resourceful, self-directed, highly organized and enjoy working in focused and driven teams. You are passionate about working to build more inclusive and socially connected communities that prioritize principles of equity and inclusion. You are someone who will make it happen, even if it isn’t perfect or it is difficult.

Key Responsibilities

• Partnership Development — Develop and deepen relationships with youth-led and youth-serving organizations to help inform program development and contribute to network building across Nourish programs.
• Community & Youth Engagement — Work in partnership to create inclusive and welcoming spaces for young people to meaningfully participate in peer-peer learning and develop leadership skills in relation to food.
• Framework Development — Work in collaboration with partners and with input from youth to design and develop a youth engagement framework for Nourish’s work across school and community settings. The framework will function as a set of guiding principles, practices and tools for Nourish staff and partners to implement within a range of food programs and initiatives.
• Resource Development — In connection to the Youth Engagement Framework, support the development of a resource toolbox (ie. workshop & facilitation guides, tools for dialogue, etc.) for inclusive and participatory youth engagement in food and garden based programming.
• Program Delivery — Support Nourish program staff in hands on facilitation of food-based events and activities that can both inform the on-going development of the framework and build relationships to a growing number of organizations and youth who may engage in current & future programs.
• Team Support & Capacity Building — Provide support and capacity building for Nourish team members to develop and share skills related to inclusive and participatory practices in supporting youth engagement.
• Evaluation & Story-Sharing — Participate in on-going tracking and data collection in relation to impact measurement and process design; Participate in story-telling and report-writing to share outcomes, successes, and lessons learned related to youth engagement and leadership.
• Project Coordination & Management — Through on-going connection with the Nourish team and partners, develop and manage a project work-plan that can help to guide priorities and timelines as they unfold and connect to organizational planning processes; Contribute to funder reporting processes as needed and support fundraising efforts to extend or expand this role and Nourish’s work with diverse youth.
• Other duties as required.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

• 2+ years of project management experience in community-based/non-profit organizations.
• University degree in a related area, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated experience working with youth including developing and implementing youth engagement, peer mentoring, knowledge sharing and skills building strategies; Familiarity with research/best practices in youth programs serving diverse youth.
• Demonstrated experience with developing training and learning resources in a variety of media (print, web resources; virtual and in-person training).
• Familiarity with issues related to food security and food sovereignty.
• Demonstrated experience developing and facilitating creative workshops, ideation sessions and capacity building with diverse young people and across a range of settings (including in an online environment).
• Strong active listening, highly developed written/oral communication skills that embody empathy, curiosity and openness.
• Excellent people can work effectively with diverse groups and individuals to support inclusive and trusting relationships, particularly in relation to working with diverse partners and youth.
• Comfort with Technology - Proficiency with software applications including Microsoft Office 365, Google Suite, and comfort using project/data management tools.
• Must provide a Vulnerable Sector Check and Child Abuse Registrar prior to hiring.

Personal Qualities

• Energetic - great at face-to-face communication, able to convey ideas, generate excitement, motivate and encourage people to get involved.
• Action orientated – with a sense and capability to get started and move things along in emergent environments. You are curious with a learner’s mindset.
• Highly organized – with a strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks, set goals and establish priorities in a timely manner.
• Reliable – both process and outcome focused: you do what you say you will, ask for help where you need it, and continuously seek opportunities to strengthen both our process and impact.
• Curious - open-minded, with a high degree of comfort with uncertainty and complexity.
• Committed to positive social change - where everyone can participate, and no one is left behind.

To Apply:

Please attach your resume and cover letter and submit it via email to human.resources@nourishns.ca  . Please indicate the position title in the subject of your email. Please mention that you saw this posting at FoodWork.ca.

Only those applicants being considered will be contacted. If you require any accommodation or technical support, please indicate this as part of your email. We appreciate your interest in Nourish Nova Scotia.

Nourish is located in Kjipuktuk or so-called Halifax, part of Mi'kmak'i, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi'kmaq peoples. While this is where our offices are located, we support food work from Unama'ki to Kespukwitk. As Treaty people, we strive to work under the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1752 by incorporating Mi'kmaw values, like cooperation, stewardship of nature and sharing, into what we do, but recognize that we have much learning and unlearning still to do. Nourish recognizes the inequities connected to colonization and commit to working towards creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive and community for all. We invite you to reflect upon this land acknowledgement and what it means to your personal story. In the spirit of equality and inclusion, if we can improve on this statement, please contact us.

Youth Engagement Coordinator Job Posting PDF.