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Everything newsworthy, right at your fingertips. Here you can find our updates, blogs, and social media feed. THE NEWS YOU OTTA SEE THIS WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO Our Press Releases Welcome to our Press Releases section, where we share our most current and important updates on the work we're doing. From the initiatives we're currently running to the impact we've made in the communities we serve, this space is dedicated to giving you an in-depth look at our progress. 07/17/2024 Announcing a new chapter of leadership at Our Time To Act! 03/04/2024 Announcing our new name: Our Time To Act 09/21/2023 Circulate San Diego Designates OTTA as Sustainable Growth Award Winner 08/22/2023 Activating Youth: Catalyst Leadership Second Workshop Page 1 of 7 ALL PRESS RELEASES The Newsletter SUBSCRIBE STORIES FROM OUR TEAM OTTA Blurb OTTA Blurbs is a unique corner of our nonprofit dedicated to showcasing the voices and insights written by our team members. Explore "Our Blurbs" to gain a deeper connection with our team, our mission, and the causes we champion. Aathmika: Your Guide to Changing Your Community Aathmika Radhachandran Jan 1, 2024 3 min read Michael Nguyen: Chess at OTTA Michael Nguyen Dec 4, 2023 2 min read 1 2 Press Releases Newsletter OTTA Blurbs

Anna Pierce is currently on the Strategy and Risk Committee of Our Time To Act. She was the Assistant Director of External Operations with Bayreach, Student Leader, and Woodwind Captain with her school’s marching band. In workspaces, she values collaboration and a shared desire for success. Outside of school and Our Time To Act, Anna loves to figure skate, horseback ride, and travel. She is also fluent in French and hopes to major in Sports Management. < Back Anna Pierce Board Director Anna Pierce is currently on the Strategy and Risk Committee of Our Time To Act. She was the Assistant Director of External Operations with Bayreach, Student Leader, and Woodwind Captain with her school’s marching band. In workspaces, she values collaboration and a shared desire for success. Outside of school and Our Time To Act, Anna loves to figure skate, horseback ride, and travel. She is also fluent in French and hopes to major in Sports Management. anna.pierce@ourtimetoact.org

Gala Program Thank you for being an integral part of this extraordinary evening! SCHEDULE MENU SUPPORT OUR WORK As we come together to celebrate, we invite you to join us in making a lasting impact. Your support means the world to us, and we believe in the power of collective generosity. If you're inspired to contribute and help us further our mission, we welcome your donations. SUPPORT OUR WORK CO-HOSTS Martin Campos Judy Ki Kevin Shin Abbey Reuter Marina Tostado Oliver Lin Carol Kim Tama Becker-Varano Indroneal Banerjee YMCA of San Diego County Josh Kavanagh Leif Gensert Viet Voices SPONSORS Marina Tostado & Oliver Lin San Diego Youth Homelessness Consortium LEAVE US FEEDBACK Thanks for submitting! How satisfied were you with the event? How engaging was the program? How did you hear about this event? Choose an option What did you think about the length of the program? How likely are you to attend our other events in the future? Please share any thoughts, comments, and ideas for future events. If you would like a direct response, please leave your email. If not, leave empty. Send Feedback SHARE YOUR MEMORIES! Here's a community Google Folder of all our Gala photos. Feel free to contribute to and download this digital album which captured fun and exciting moments this afternoon. December 30th: Our Time To Act meet-up in Stockton at T% over the holidays to work on Gala cards and speeches together. GOOGLE FOLDER

Check out our impact in 2024! Download

Welcome to a night full of excitement, including food from local businesses, a project showcase highlighting this year's efforts, and keynote speakers. MENU: ITINERARY:

Join us in advocating for more housing opportunities through the City's Housing Action Package 2.0.

< Back OTTA United nominated for the Midcoast Award at Circulate San Diego's Momentum Awards Wednesday, September 14, 2022 Our Time to Act United Next Previous

< Back Aashika Srinivas, Policy Analyst, presents redistricting reform research to SD City Council Wednesday, April 20, 2022 Leana Cortez, Director of Advocacy If one were to describe the 2020-2021 San Diego Redistricting process, “equitable” would scarcely be used. The current structure of the process enforces the power of wealthy, single-family homeowners while leaving San Diego’s youth and BIPOC communities vastly underrepresented. As youth ourselves, OTTA United endeavored to disrupt this structure and begin our research for reform. These measures included: Changing the appointing authority. Partial district detachment. Implementation of a two-part selection process. These proposed changes would simply bring San Diego’s City redistricting process up to par with our neighboring cities and the state. Aashika Srinivas, policy analyst at OTTA United, brought these reform suggestions to the San Diego City Council Rules Committee on April 20th, 2022. She did a wonderful job presenting during non-agenda public comment and caught the attention of two councilmembers. Councilmember Chris Cate commented that he was "encouraged by some of [Aashika's] ideas." Council President Sean Elo-Rivera was "intrigued by the presentation," "appreciate[d] the level of civic engagement of the youth who presented," and thanked us for "having engaged in the redistricting process." With this encouragement, OTTA United will continue to meet with councilmembers to figure out the further development and implementation of such reforms to ensure just representation occurs for the diverse city of San Diego. Next Previous

< Back Circulate San Diego Designates OTTA as Sustainable Growth Award Winner Thursday, September 21, 2023 Our Time to Act United MEDIA CONTACT: Mariya Grabovska, Press Intern ( mariya.grabovska@ottaunited.org ) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OTTA United has been honored by Circulate San Diego with the prestigious “Sustainable Growth” Award in recognition of its outstanding efforts in the San Diego region. "OTTA United has been side-by-side with Circulate San Diego in advocating for more housing and promoting denser, walkable, and more vibrant neighborhoods," says Masaki Mendoza, Housing Justice Organizer at OTTA United. The organization has been actively demonstrating its commitment to sustainable growth through its advocacy for policies that foster denser housing, particularly around public transit stations in San Diego. OTTA United firmly believes that denser housing addresses affordability concerns and contributes significantly to environmental preservation and climate action. By utilizing less land for accommodating the same or larger populations, OTTA United aims to combat urban sprawl which poses environmental challenges, transportation difficulties, and high land prices. Circulate San Diego has acknowledged the hard work being done by the very talented and passionate young individuals at our organization as well as what we have been able to accomplish in collaboration with their mission. The award ceremony took place at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. The event aimed to acknowledge organizations, individuals, and projects that have significantly contributed to the mission of Circulate San Diego. Among the recognized individuals was California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who was lauded for his efforts in addressing the state’s housing crisis. OTTA United expresses gratitude for the recognition and remains dedicated to its mission of promoting sustainable growth; advocating for policies that create vibrant, walkable communities; and collaborating with organizations like Circulate San Diego to make a positive impact on urban development. In addition, receiving this recognition wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the Housing Team at OTTA. We thank the individuals behind the scenes and those on the frontline. Next Previous

< Back to Open Positions Senior Director of Programs Staff Director (Volunteer) San Diego, CA, USA APPLY Rolling application. Priority given to applications submitted before June 16th. ABOUT THE ROLE Reporting to the Executive Director, the primary job of the Senior Director of Programs leads three direct reports: the Director of Organizing, the Director of Advocacy & Research, and the Director of Services. JOB DESCRIPTION The Senior Director of Programs plays an influential role in building strong, stable, and successful programs within the three areas they oversee: organizing, advocacy & research, and services. Job responsibilities include: Set goals REQUIREMENTS DREAM ROLE This is the dream role for someone with strong abilities to set great goals, operationalize success, and lead direct reports in a collaborative, empathetic way. Key skillsets may include: Community organizing Program design and leadership Ability to inspire, train, and empower youth sociopolitical awareness to achieve change and help others to do so Passion and commitment A “do-er” (strong implementation skills) EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE Previous organizing experience is required, with preference given to individuals with experience organizing youth or for youth-related issues. A high school diploma is preferred, although not required if a candidate has exemplary youth organizing experience. WORK MODALITY & LOCATION OTTA United’s office is located in San Diego, California (3252 Holiday Court Ste 103, San Diego, CA 92037). CYAN will be launched in San Diego, so applicants must be in the San Diego region with the ability to travel around the City of San Diego and to the OTTA United office. The work modality is hybrid, with some required meetings at the OTTA United office. PAY & BENEFITS This position is on a volunteer basis. There is no compensation for this position at this time. OTTA United deeply values the potential for personal and career development and strives to uplift its team members to best position them for their bright futures. Non-monetary benefits include: Tailored work experience and growth to fit your desired career path Networking opportunities with community nonprofits, policymakers, elected officials, and companies Letters of recommendation Certified Volunteer Hours, if requested A tight-knit team and community of fellow change-makers EXPECTED HOURS & FLEXIBILITY In a Senior Director position, expected hours fluctuate from 15-30 hours per week. Certain responsibilities, such as staff meetings, are fixed. Other obligations can be flexible around your schedule. Many staff members are also students, so our work environment is as flexible as possible. Approximately 80% of meetings will be conducted online, with some optional in-person attendance, and 20% will be conducted in person. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION OTTA United is a youth-founded, youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission to organize powerful youth for an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future. OTTA United values authenticity and passion. We play the role of coalition builders and mentors within our communities, sharing knowledge, resources, credit, and impact. And as a justice-oriented, impact-driven, and people-centered organization, our perspective grounds us with who we serve and the work we do while advancing our mission. Applications are a two-way street. We make our values as an organization clear to you to make sure our team is the right fit—and we hope we are! Here are some things to keep in mind: Our team values flexibility and taking initiative over structure and top-down delegation. This philosophy is not a good fit for all, so we want to be clear upfront. If you thrive in dynamic, open environments, this is the place for you. We value meaningful impact and support. We seek to authentically serve both our audience and our team members alike. We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse group of people. These values are reflected in our hiring practices, decision-making, and programs. Our team and organization are growth-minded and development-focused. We always have room to improve, at all levels of our organization! Our organization promotes honesty, communication, and integrity. These values allow us to be an effective team. We praise creativity and ingenuity. Nothing is more exciting than thinking outside of the box or challenging the status quo. We prefer personability over professionalism, at least in internal settings. APPLY

Volunteer and donate to help us keep growing. Together we can build and exercising youth power for a better future! Youth own the future. We're shaping it now. 1 - 3 HOURS Join an Event Show up and meet the community at our upcoming events. VIEW EVENTS CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE Volunteer Make a hands-on difference and gain valuable experience by volunteering with us. INTEREST FORM 3 MINUTES Donate Support our mission and help us continue our advocacy work by making a donation. MAKE A DONATION 3 MINUTES Become a Member Enjoy exclusive benefits and contribute to lasting change by becoming a reoccurring donor. JOIN AS A MEMBER 4 SECONDS Subscribe to Our Newsletter Receive monthly emails for the latest updates and opportunities SUBSCRIBE 10 MINUTES Learn about Our Current Campaign Check out our webpage for our current campaign to eliminate exclusionary zoning and segregation in San Diego read more BE THE CHANGE Join Our Team Our Time To Act is a passionate team comprised of youth leaders, youth allies, and partners who enable us to further build power in our communities. We offer volunteer opportunities across various disciplines including community organizing, outreach, internal development, and more. OPEN POSITIONS ABOUT US Be the Change Follow our Socials @our time to act @ottaunited @our time to act

2nd Annual Winter Gala: Dawn In The Mountains Our Time To Act proudly presents our 2nd annual gala on January 13th! Join us for our midday celebration of our collective accomplishments. There’ll be delicious food, featured speakers, and project showcases. We can’t wait to see you there. TICKET PRICES BUY TICKETS DATE Saturday, January 13th, 2024 TIME 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. PT LOCATION The Great Hall at UCSD (9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093) ADMISSION PRICES $100 $25 $250 INFO Co-hosts have the option for a full table for $600. Along with all co-host benefits, you will receive 7 extra tickets for you to bring 7 guests to our gala! (full table typically costs $800) BUY TICKETS price SPONSOR THE EVENT By sponsoring us, you’ll be a large part of our Gala. Even after, you’ll play an active role in supporting Our Time To Act by funding our future events and projects. BECOME A SPONSOR VIEW SPONSOR PACKET CO-HOSTS Martin Campos Judy Ki Kevin Shin Abbey Reuter Tama Becker-Varano Indroneal Banerjee Josh Kavanagh YMCA of San Diego County Leif Gensert SPONSORS San Diego Youth Homelessness Consortium San Diego Youth Marina Tostado & Oliver Lin QUOTES FROM OUR BOARD “The gala in three words: inspiring, impressive, and community—there were so many great people we were able to connect with.” “If anyone has the ability to support, empower, or champion youth and have the passion for it, this is for them – it’s so meaningful to invest in the next generation” “I’m grateful to be a part of something bigger than myself, to be involved in youth empowerment and see the impact in communities” Anna Pierce Oliver Lin Gabrielle Darisme A Glimpse into Last Year's Gala 2022's Winter Gala: A Sky Full of Stars celebrated our accomplishments, which could not have been possible without our community. After all, it's only when together that we shine brightly, dazzling the dark night with shimmering stars. View our collection of photos, videos, and blog below. READ MORE