Youth Peace Ambassador

Rexdale Community Health Centre (RCHC) is a non-profit, multi-service, community-based organization that serves communities in Rexdale and North-West Etobicoke. Operating out of three locations, RCHC offers core services that include; primary health care, health promotion, community development programs, Pathways to Education and Diabetes Education Centre.

TO Wards Peace is a risk-driven, community-centric model being implemented in the Northwest of the City that uses a public health approach to the interruption, intervention and prevention of gun violence and victimization. Anchored in community by the local health centre; Rexdale Community Health Centre and driven by local anti-violence grassroots group, Think 2Wice (T2) in Rexdale neighbourhoods, Violence Disruption Workers with relevant expertise and lived experience with anti-black racism, trauma and violence will be hired to work on integrated teams made up of community, hospitals and City resources. Through a multi-sector approach the pilot combines effective community engagement approaches, innovative communication tools, hospital based interventions social media strategies and focused investments geared at violence interruption and prevention to support racialized youth and communities most vulnerable to serious violence and crime.

The Community Investments portion of the TWP model features Peace Projects to help promote youth engagement, empowerment and community safety in Rexdale. These projects aim to enhance and build on youth’s capacity to accomplish creative ideas and initiatives that aspires to bring peace, cohesion and unity to disrupt violence and conflict. The Youth Peace Ambassador will interact with young people and oversee four (4) youth-led Peace Projects. The Youth Peace Ambassador will inspire, engage, mentor and support youth to achieve their project goals whilst making authentic connections with other youth/residents, advocacy groups, agencies, schools, other stakeholders and the community at large in Rexdale.

**Major Responsibilities**:
The Youth Peace Ambassador is required to perform the following roles:
**Administrative**:

- Coordinate and manage the support of delivery and facilitation of 4 youth-led Peace Projects in the Rexdale community to ensure timelines, and other goals are achieved
- Support the implementation, development and monitoring of Youth Peace Projects
- Evaluate project delivery, provide support in managing Peace Project budget, grant evaluations and reports
- Coach and mentor youth-led Peace Projects towards successful implementation of initiatives through consistent communication and check-ins
- Hold bi-weekly meetings for Youth Peace Projects
- Communicate and be responsive to Project Lead and provide updates of Peace Project outcomes
- Provide written reports to Project Lead
- Provide additional reporting and feedback to TWP team, as required in team meetings
- Support the TWP programs, activities, and initiatives

**Community Engagement**:

- Cultivate and maintain relationships with community partners, stakeholders and leaders of youth led-projects
- Work collaboratively and develop strategies with partners to support Peace Project initiatives and ensure goals are met
- Nurture relationship between Youth Peace Projects and other youth programs and services in the Rexdale community
- Engage with the leaders of Youth Peace Projects’ staff to identify issues, needs, goals, aspirations, skills, abilities and services needed as well as barriers to accessing services
- Organize meetings, workshops and events to engage the community and to promote and advocate Peace Project initiatives
- Conduct outreach to inform youth community members of community meetings, workshops, opportunities and events
- Support programs and initiatives happening in the Rexdale community
- Problem solve difficulties and celebrate successes with leaders of Youth Peace Projects, Project Lead, and the larger TWP team
- Highlight any issues to the Project Lead for TO Wards Peace
- Ensure leaders of youth Peace Projects know and use the TWP operating framework as set by grant guidelines
- Other duties as assigned

**Relevant skills and abilities**
- Two years’ experience working with racialized youth
- Minimum two years’ experience in delivering youth programs
- Understanding of the impact of oppression and anti-Black racism and the barriers faced by Black youth and youth-led projects
- Awareness of the issues faced by racialized youth in the justice system
- An understanding of issues affecting the diverse populations of Rexdale and surrounding areas, including general issues affecting low-income communities
- Demonstrated experience in mobilizing and supporting racialized youth on social justice issues that affect and impact their lives
- Demonstrated experience supervising youth programs and youth program development
- Experience working on different projects and initiatives that serve youth from diverse backgrounds
- Knowl