Join Us

Teen Mentor Program Intern
The Teen Mentor Program intern will work one-on-one, and with a team of six teen mentors on weekdays during a specified point in time when programs are occurring. This position helps support Teen Mentors in developing professional skills, engaging with social justice topics relevant to the work of Girls' LEAP, and in creating personal projects such as a video diary, a social media campaign, a blog, a photography project, a slam poem, etc. Applicants should be interested in working with youth, exploring why we tell stories, and why it's important for everyone to hear girls' voices. Students with backgrounds in journalism, creative disciplines, the arts, creating social media, and social justice are encouraged to apply.

Teaching Assistants Intern
This internship is tailored to suit the goals of students interested in pursuing careers in social work, youth advocacy, counseling, and education. A background in theatre, sports, or movement arts, and/or second language skills is a plus. Interns work directly with youth under the supervision of Girls' Leap staff in Girls' LEAP Programs, and may also work closely with our Teen Mentor Program. Interns must attend the weekend-long training offered in January, June, and September. Please email Program Director regarding open positions for this internship.

Curriculum Development Intern
Are you a student with a passion for anti-oppression work and inspiring others? Do you have an interest in public health, violence prevention, trauma-informed service, and research? This internship is tailored based on student interests to expand and/or revamp Girls' LEAP Programs and Workshops. Interns may choose to focus on updating the trauma-informed elements of our existing volunteer training curriculum, the Teen Dating Violence elements of our community programs curriculum, training for Boston Police volunteering with LEAP, and a new workshop curriculum for LEAP parents. This internship is under the supervision of Girls' LEAP's Program Director.

​Outreach, Social Media and Marketing Intern
Do you love spreading the word about awesome organizations? Do you love meeting people and attending community events? Is graphic design your jam? Students with an interest in community outreach, creating intersectional feminist media, amplifying the voices of youth of color, social-media management, and/or graphic design or web design are encouraged to apply!

Girls' LEAP self-defense and empowerment programming is lead by a pool of part-time teachers.

Programs are offered seasonally (Fall Semester, Winter/Spring semester and Summer). Potential Lead Teachers must have availability on weekday afternoons/evenings for three to four hour time-blocks between 1 pm - 8 pm. Hours may range from approximately four to ten hours per week, depending on availability. Hours shift to between 9 am - 4:30 pm during the summer.

Who should apply?​

• Adult women interested in girls’ development, leadership, and self-defense
• Women committed to fostering consent culture, preventing violence, and empowering girls and young women
• Women with experience in physical, outdoor, or experiential education, martial arts, dance, theatre or another expressive physical medium
• Women with experience working with youth aged 8-18 and building positive relationships
• We strongly encourage women of color and residents of Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan to apply

Hosting a LEAP program
We look to our program partners to provide a setting and support for the girls in the program. Specifically, our partners provide:

• Space for the training
• A two hour time block for each class
• 10 – 25 students who are interested in participating
• A sponsor who will recruit participants, encourage program attendance, and interface with parents/guardians, and an adult who can be on site during the program time to help with any emergency or logistical issues

Our partners depend on us to provide:

• A fully-trained intergenerational teaching team
• All supplies for the program, including strike shields
• Communication materials they can use to recruit participants, including printable posters, letters to parents, brochures, and social media graphics

If you are interested in hosting a program, we’d love to talk with you. Please email us at leapmail@girlsleap.org!​

Our Program Director leads the development and implementation of LEAP’s programs. They provide thought leadership in evolving our practices and curriculum to ensure we fully meet the needs of the youth we support. They inspire and coach our team to do our best to support our youth and lead in anti-racist and culturally supportive ways. Partnering with the Co-Executive Directors (EDs), they sustain and grow LEAP’s inclusive, affirmative culture.

The Program Director oversees two staff roles: a Teen Mentor Program Manager and a Program Coordinator in addition to the teaching team. The Program Director can work a hybrid schedule, in person and at home.

Plan and coordinate the implementation of staff training, community programs, and workshops. (30%).
In collaboration with a Program Coordinator, ensure we continue to grow the number of programs and students we reach each year. 

Recruit sponsors and students

Coordinate the training schedule, including staffing our programs

Engage and prepare Master Trainers

Engage and manage program staff. (30%)
Recruit, train, and support part-time staff and volunteers.  Ensure that the teaching staff members are fully trained and well-mentored.  Plan and implement ongoing skills development programs. 

Recruit teaching staff, including Lead Teachers, Expert Trainers, Teen Mentors and Teaching Assistants, and Interns. 

Provide regular coaching to direct reports, primarily Lead Teachers and Interns.

Oversee Teen Mentor Program. Through the Teen Mentor Program Manager, ensure the success of our Intensive Teen Mentor program and School Year Program.

Assess the effectiveness of our training and identify needs for a new or improved training approach and curriculum. (20%).
Manage the development and implementation of new or revised programs and curricula. 

Teach Girls’ LEAP programs. (10%)
Teach workshops and as needed, substitute for Lead Teachers, in programs.

Partner with the Co-Executive Directors in strategizing on expanding our reach and building support for LEAP. (10%)
Collaborate with Grant Writer and Co-Executive Directors in developing proposals for funding. Provide content for reporting to donors. 

Experience and Qualifications

• A minimum of 5-8 years of experience working with youth, preferably in historically marginalized communities
• Experience leading teams
• Ability to provide thought leadership in intersectional social justice and foster a culturally, racially gender inclusive culture 
• Experience in physical, outdoor, or experiential education, martial arts, dance, theatre, or some other expressive physical medium
• Commitment to Girls’ LEAP values of empowering girls, trans girls, and non-binary youth, using a strengths-based approach
• Physical agility and strength - ability to lift 25+ lbs. 
• Bi-/multilingual candidates and people from historically marginalized communities strongly encouraged to apply
• Valid MA driver’s license and regular access to reliable vehicles, if possible

If this opportunity intrigues you, please send a cover letter and resume to Cynthia Maltbie at cynthia@girlsleap.org.

Girls’ LEAP is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Girls’ LEAP provides health benefits, a retirement plan and salary commensurate with experience. 

The Program Coordinator is critical to the success of all these initiatives. They will work closely with our Program Director to engage program sponsors and students; successfully implement high-quality programming and serve as a Lead Teacher in our programs and workshops.

The Program Director oversees two staff roles: a Teen Mentor Program Manager and a Program Coordinator in addition to the teaching team. The Program Director can work a hybrid schedule, in person and at home.

Manage program operations (40%)

• Coordinate logistics for programming sites and workshops. Maintain a programming calendar. Ensure staff and materials are available. Capture and report on key demographic, program, and evaluation data. Invoice program sponsors, as appropriate.
• Make sure LEAP data is up-to-date and accurate, including Salesforce & Microsoft Teams. Develop and produce reports on our activity. Lead projects to improve our systems and use data, as needed.
• Maintain our materials and supplies, ordering as needed. Organize and maintain our storage of supplies and paper documents.
• Support recruiting and onboarding of new staff, including Teen Mentors.

Communicate with existing and prospective partners, students and parents. Coordinate with Program Director
to engage existing partners and recruit new ones. (30%)

• Recruit delivery partners and students to meet the Girls’ LEAP plan, reaching out to and gaining the commitment of potential delivery partners. Attend meetings, community, and school fairs to promote EAP programs. Communicate benefits to participants and partner organizations.
• Develop and distribute marketing materials for partner organizations to use in recruiting participants.
• Market open-enrollment programs and workshops. Design and develop marketing materials aimed at students, parents, and youth workers. Confirm the commitment of students who enroll. Communicate logistics to parents and participants.
• Coordinate the implementation of programs and workshops. Obtain signed agreements with delivery partners. Coordinate the program schedule for partners and assist with the prep of program boxes, enrollment forms, and surveys.

Teach LEAP programs and workshops. (30%)

• Teach our core 2-hour programs 2-3 days per week, along with occasional workshops.
• Led inter-generational team to deliver the core program to groups of young people ages 8-18.

Experience and Qualifications

• Commitment to Girls’ LEAP values of empowering girls, trans girls, and non-binary youth, using a strengths-based approach
• A minimum of 1-2 years of experience working in a youth-based organization, preferably in historically marginalized communities
• Ability to network and build strong lasting connections
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Confidence to reach out to site partners, leaders, parents, and participants through all channels
• Experience with developing marketing materials a plus
• Community organizing and/or event management experience is a plus
• Bi-/multilingual candidates and people from historically marginalized communities strongly encouraged to apply
• Driver’s license with access to a vehicle preferred
• This position requires candidates who are flexible, highly motivated, and energized!

If this opportunity intrigues you, please send a cover letter and resume to Cynthia Maltbie at cynthia@girlsleap.org.

Girls’ LEAP is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Girls’ LEAP provides health benefits, a retirement plan and salary commensurate with experience. 

Teen Mentors build leadership skills by teaching younger and near-aged girls in Girls’ LEAP programs. They also raise community awareness about violence that girls face.

Who can apply?

Teens from Boston who identify as girls, ages 14-18. We especially encourage those who are interested in empowerment, social justice, leadership, or self-defense to apply. ​​​Teen Mentors are selected though a rigorous training and application process. Once hired, Teen Mentors will be part-time, paid employees with Girls’ LEAP.

What skills to Teen Mentors build?

• Increased confidence in personal safety
• Increased awareness of higher education opportunities
• Ability to coach and mentor
• Work readiness and confidence in communication and presentation skills
• Professionalism in engagement with peers and supervisors

What's the commitment?

A weekend-long training and 20-25 hours/week for the duration of the program. You must be available each week of the program, typically seven weeks in the summer. Hours are scheduled between 9am and 5pm, Monday through Friday.

Teen Mentors who successfully complete the summer program may be invited to continue their employment into the school year, assisting with Girls' LEAP Programs, Workshops, and outreach events after school, and/or on weekends. ​

What does a Teen Mentor do?

• ​Assistant teach in Girls' LEAP Community Programs
• Engage in training and discussion on social justice topics relevant to Boston girls, such as racism, sexism, discrimination, violence, etc. - and what we can do about these issues
• Create content for Girls' LEAP's Instagram, Youtube, etc. about things that matter to you! Learn skills like video and music editing. Write poetry, draw, take pics
• Build personal skills like financial literacy and goal setting, and professional skills like resume writing, and more

Girls' LEAP could not exist without an amazing group of volunteers who help support our work. Join us!

Teaching Assistants Volunteer Program
The Teaching Assistants Program is a personal and professional development opportunity to volunteer as a mentor in Girls' LEAP programs.

Teaching Assistants attend an 18 hour training (offered three times/year in late June, mid-September, and late January) before assistant teaching in at least one LEAP Program per semester. Teaching Assistants attend weekly peer meetings as part of community or campus-based "Chapters" for ongoing training and review, as well as reflection and discussion on social justice issues such as self-care, race, gender, and violence (about 3 - 4.5 hours per week total.)

Teaching Assistants also have the opportunity to organize and/or participate in community outreach and awareness events, and are invited to come together about once a month for optional meet-ups, special self-defense trainings, and fun activities.

University-based Teaching Assistants currently join us from Lesley, Northeastern, Simmons, Boston University, Harvard, Bunker Hill Community College, and MIT. Community-based Teaching Women hail from Dorchester, Roxbury, Medford, Somerville, Cambridge, Malden, and Chelsea!

We encourage any college student or community member 18+ who identifies as a woman and is interested in empowerment, leadership, or self-defense to apply - and we especially encourage women of color and Spanish-speakers. University or college-based Teaching Assistants may be eligible for service-learning, practicum, or work-study credit.

Volunteer Professional Skills
Are you a feminist web designer looking for a portfolio project? An arts or media instructor with an interest in social justice issues? A photographer or graphic designer expanding your portfolio? A techie who wants to give back to your community? An office looking for a volunteer holiday project?

​If this sounds like you - or you have another amazing skill set and would like to donate your time and talent to making Girls LEAP even more awesome - we would love to hear from you!