MYLC Youth Leadership Team
The heart of the Youth Leadership Conference
The annual Maine Youth Leadership Conference would not be possible without the dedication of the Youth Leadership Team (YLT)! The YLT is a group of young people ages 14 to 18 from across the state of Maine who work alongside MYAN staff and partners to envision and run the conference. We rely on these leaders to create a rich atmosphere of youth leadership, connection, and change-making!
This year, we’re looking for a group of young people to bring their diverse experiences, expertise, and creativity to the table. The 2023 leadership team will be responsible for designing conference materials, outreach to organizations, recruiting conference attendees, selecting workshop presenters, designing discussion opportunities, and planning community and social events.
Youth Leaders will work together with MYAN staff during the conference to welcome attendees, guide peers through events, and facilitate conversations in small groups as pair teams. Learn more about this opportunity and apply below!
This is a paid opportunity, and for your work with the YLT, you will be compensated with a stipend of $400, paid in 2 increments.
Applications are due on Friday, August 4th!
What will you do as a member of the Leadership Team?
Cultivate your own unique leadership style and understanding of change-making!
Through individual and collective reflection, you will get curious about these questions: What does it mean to be a leader? How does leadership ‘show up’ in your community? What does it take to make change and what is your role in change-making?
Learn how to lead and facilitate activities alongside your teammates!
Through team-building activities, dialogue, reflection and practice, you will learn how to guide groups and individuals. From icebreakers to discussions on important topics, you will build the skills to facilitate these activities.
Host the Youth Leadership Conference!
As the Leadership Team, you will host the Youth Leadership Conference in November. This will be an opportunity to flex those facilitation and leadership skills, kicking off the event on a high-note and engaging in deeper dialogues during the conference.
Meet new people!
You’ll be part of a team with peers from across the entire state of Maine! This is a unique opportunity to meet other young people who are passionate about changing-making and elevating the voices of peers.
YLT duties leading up to the conference
Working in groups and in partnership with MYAN staff, the YLT will be responsible for:
- Designing shirts, flyers, and graphics
- Social media outreach and promotion
- Recruiting youth attendance, tabling orgs, and youth engagement opportunities
- Selection and scheduling of workshop presenters & speakers
- Co-design of conference theme, discussion topics, and facilitation plans
- Planning of evening community events
YLT duties during the conference
Working in pairs and in partnership with MYAN staff, the YLT will be responsible for:
- Welcoming & checking in attendees
- Making announcements & speaker introductions
- Guiding peers through events
- Monitoring workshop spaces & assisting presenters
- Leading and facilitating conversations and debriefs around topics introduced during workshops and presentations
- Greeting organization representatives and guiding tabling/resource fair setup
- Providing peer support for youth conference attendees
Time commitment
- Friday, August 18th through Sunday, August 20th – Two-night in-person retreat & teambuilding orientation in the Augusta area
- August 30th to November 8th – Weekly virtual planning meetings on Wednesdays 4-5:30 pm, consistent online communication around ongoing tasks and projects
- Sunday afternoon, November 12th through Monday, November 13th – In-person overnight pre-conference prep retreat in Augusta
- Monday, November 13th & Tuesday, November 14th – In-person overnight conference facilitation, two full days at the Augusta Civic Center
- December – Virtual post-conference celebration & debrief meeting
Pay
$400 in two payments, halfway through and at the end of the program
FAQs
- We are looking for high-school-aged youth between the ages of 14-18.
- MYAN will provide transportation to and from conference and retreat locations as needed.
- All lodging and meals are provided and paid for by MYAN.
- Parent or guardian permission is required.
Download a flyer to share this opportunity with young people in your community!
