Union of Youth

Northfield Union of Youth
@ The Key

The Northfield Union of Youth/The Key is a nonprofit organization- for youth and by youth. All ideas for programs, projects and events are all generated by the youth. The mission of the Northfield Union of Youth is to provide power and voice to area youth and create a caring community. This is a unique organization where youth plan programs/events and govern, while caring adults involved in the organization listen and help guide.

Position Title: Executive Director
Full-time position

Responsibilities include:
* Organization administration: responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Northfield Union of Youth and the organization’s youth center, the Key.
* Program administration: assist staff and youth with existing and developing new after school programs; duties include recruiting volunteers, meeting with program leaders, and designing and tracking program budgets.
* Tracking and reporting information on activities, finances, program progress and attendance to grantors and key staff.
* Manage staff: train, schedule, delegate and monitor all staff and their responsibilities.
* Write grants and help lead fundraising efforts
* Assist youth in developing strategic plans and implementations according to youth board governance and mission of the organization.
* Community liaison: develop and maintain relationships with new and existing community partners to develop positive, supportive and mutually beneficial connections and activities.

Desired Qualifications:
* Experience with youth ages 12-19.
* 2-3 years of relevant non-profit experience.
* Associates or Bachelors Degree
* Excellent communication skills, able to speak and write well.
* Highly organized, able to schedule appointments and manage office in chaotic atmosphere.
* Knowledge of Northfield community
* Fundraising and grant writing experience a plus

Salary: Mid $30,000’s range

Please send cover letter and resume to:
The Northfield Union of Youth
Attn: Hiring Committee
PO Box 481
Northfield, MN 55057

The 9th Annual Lighten Up Carleton Garage Sale raised over $22,000 during the two day sale of Thursday June 18 and Friday June 19, easily smashing its record amount by over 5 grand! The Northfield Union of Youth, Northfield Special Olympics, and Project Friendship will be cut checks of over $7000 each. The Lighten Up sale was sponsored by Acting in the Community Together (ACT), the College’s center for community service and civic engagement. They are owed an extended round of applause as are the numerous volunteers of the other organizations. Well over 700 hours were logged in by volunteers of the Northfield Union of Youth during the set up and sale. That is very impressive and a testament to the quality of the organization (at least we think so).

On June 11th, 2009, the infamous “Brown Couch” was laid to rest by means of cremation and axe-handling. A decision was made to lay the couch to rest at the previous board meeting. As a result, there are far fewer flies roaming through the Key, and an opportunity to try out some new furniture!

Carleton’s Ninth Annual Lighten-Up Garage Sale will take place in the West Gym on Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday noon to 7 p.m. is the fill-a-bag sale. Please note there will be no Saturday sale this year. The Lighten Up sale, sponsored by Acting in the Community Together (ACT), the College’s center for community service and civic engagement, is open to the public.

Volunteers from ACT and other benefiting organizations will run the sale, with all proceeds going to Project Friendship, Northfield Area Special Olympics, and the Northfield Union of Youth (The Key). Last year’s garage sale raised over $14,000 for local non-profit organizations.

The garage sale will feature clothes, linens, books, electronics, kitchenware, and other miscellaneous items donated by Carleton students following their dorm room clean-ups. This sale has thousands of items and is the Queen of garage sales. There is literally something for everyone!

The West Gym is located on the Carleton campus off Highway 19 East in Northfield. Ample parking is available in the Carleton College Stadium parking lot.

….But instead of clowns and bearded ladies– it’s a BATTLE OF THE BANDS!

That’s right– Eccentric Circus is back, and will be going down Saturday, June 20th, at 4:00 p.m.  The fun will be held in Sechler Park in Northfield.  Admission is $4, but if you come dressed as a robot, admission is only $3.  Lots of Northfield-area bands will be playing, including this band called Detective Ventriloquist that I keep hearing so much about.

So please, come on down to the park next Saturday for a whole mess of fun.  And check out the poster that Dan Zenner designed. 

Here is your new board for the 2009-2010 school year.

Two Key-related happenings have been mentioned on the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative website, and I just thought that I would mention that here.  The first mentions two graduating seniors from the Mayor’s Youth Council who also happen to be Youth Board Members at The Key– Hattie Ryan and Ruth Amerman.  Feel free to check out the full post here.

Secondly, the Global Youth Service Day/Semester of Service got a nice write up courtesy of the High School’s Promise Fellow Alyssa Jilek.  Alyssa, Jason Hallen at the Middle School, as well as myself spent the first five months of 2009 planning environmentally themed service projects and events for the youth at our sites, as well as for the community at large.  The final event was the recent tree planting at the Middle School that some of the kids from The Key assisted in.  Other events included: “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” which was an informational event at the High School in January, and featured presentations by representatives from Waste Management and the River Bend Nature Center; Buckthorn removal; The Key’s upcoming Community Bike Rental Program; and passing along information about waste reduction and recycling to members of the community and youth at the three sites.

Fellowships available working with Northfield youth

Two openings available for full-time AmeriCorps Promise Fellows for the 2009-10 school year. Part of a select statewide network, the Promise Fellows each provide academic and social support to a group of 25-30 local youth. The two local placement sites are the Northfield High School & Northfield Union of Youth/The Key. Visit www.northfieldhci.org for position descriptions. Application review begins June 5, 2009.

Perhaps, like Chris Tucker and Ice Cube, you have nothing to do this Friday evening.  Then you should consider coming down to The Key for a Free concert, headlined by Northfield’s own Riley McGillivary.  And if you like what you hear– he’ll be opening for the Kristoff Krane show the following night.

Just to reiterate– FREE SHOW ON FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE KEY.  Be there or be square.

And you know this…….MAN!

Congrats to the seniors on the Key board! Mackenzie, where did you go? Also not pictured, Dan the Man.