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- Kathleen Hoang
Kathleen (she/they) is a graphic design intern at OTTA and a Media major with a Design minor at UC San Diego. Her skills lie in graphic design, videography and editing, and marketing. She has experience in Campus Performance and Events at UC San Diego as a Lead Marketing and Graphic Designer. Additionally, she has experience in technology and troubleshooting at the UCSD ITS Service Desk. She has participated in art projects, including fan led projects for the game VALORANT, and has created design collateral for the Service Desk. Outside of working, Kathleen enjoys rock climbing and drawing. < Back Kathleen Hoang Graphic Design Intern Kathleen (she/they) is a graphic design intern at OTTA and a Media major with a Design minor at UC San Diego. Her skills lie in graphic design, videography and editing, and marketing. She has experience in Campus Performance and Events at UC San Diego as a Lead Marketing and Graphic Designer. Additionally, she has experience in technology and troubleshooting at the UCSD ITS Service Desk. She has participated in art projects, including fan led projects for the game VALORANT, and has created design collateral for the Service Desk. Outside of working, Kathleen enjoys rock climbing and drawing. kathleen.hoang@ourtimetoact.org
- Local Leaders Program Manager
< Back to Open Positions Local Leaders Program Manager Volunteer South Bay Area APPLY Rolling application. Priority given to applications submitted before September 30th. ABOUT THE ROLE Program Managers oversee the establishment of our Local Leaders program across various schools in the South Bay Area. Responsibilities include conducting site research to determine if the Local Leaders program is a good fit for it, securing funding sources, recruiting site coordinators, and developing the Local Leaders curriculum. REQUIREMENTS No prior experience required. Demonstrates adequate research and planning skills. High school student or beyond. 6-8 hours, 1-2 meetings a week. Our scheduling is highly flexible. Values cooperation, creativity, growth-mindset. Exhibits organization, diligence, and dedication. Passion for youth empowerment. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION While pursuing our mission of youth empowerment, Our Time to Act United understands the importance of fostering a safe, welcoming, and positive environment for all. As such, the actions we take align with our values as an organization and as individuals. We value meaningful impact. We always seek to genuinely support those that we serve and the people within our organization. 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 is growth-minded and development-focused. We always have room to improve! Our organization promotes honesty, communication, and integrity. These values allow for us to be a cooperative, productive, and effective team. We praise creativity and ingenuity. Nothing is more exciting than thinking outside of the box or challenging the status quo. Applications are a two-way street. We make our values as an organization clear to you in order to make sure our team is the right fit—and we hope we are! Do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions regarding our organization, values, workplace environment, or the application process. APPLY
- Ethan Leem
Ethan Leem (he/him) is a student at Canyon Crest Academy in Carmel Valley of San Diego. He discovered his passion for housing advocacy and equality while researching the history of Filipino-American immigrant tenants in San Francisco, where he was born. As a member of OTTA, Ethan is honored to serve the community of San Diego as an advocate for fair and equal housing through whatever means possible. < Back Ethan Leem Housing Justice Organizer Ethan Leem (he/him) is a student at Canyon Crest Academy in Carmel Valley of San Diego. He discovered his passion for housing advocacy and equality while researching the history of Filipino-American immigrant tenants in San Francisco, where he was born. As a member of OTTA, Ethan is honored to serve the community of San Diego as an advocate for fair and equal housing through whatever means possible. ethan.leem@ourtimetoact.org
- Rhianen Callahan
Rhianen is majoring in Sociocultural Anthropology with a minor in Ethnic Studies at UCSD. Their current passions are queer and disability justice as well as being open about their journey with PTSD. Rhianen's two modes are productive working at a local cafe or playing on their Switch, curled up on their couch. They consider themselves to be the part-time cool uncle of Isaac's yorkie. < Back Rhianen Callahan Community Coordinator Rhianen is majoring in Sociocultural Anthropology with a minor in Ethnic Studies at UCSD. Their current passions are queer and disability justice as well as being open about their journey with PTSD. Rhianen's two modes are productive working at a local cafe or playing on their Switch, curled up on their couch. They consider themselves to be the part-time cool uncle of Isaac's yorkie. rhianen.callahan@ourtimetoact.org
- OTTA United and community partners host a local candidate forum at UC San Diego | Our Time To Act
< Back OTTA United and community partners host a local candidate forum at UC San Diego Monday, October 24, 2022 Our Time to Act United On Monday, October 24th, OTTA United was pleased to welcome candidates for City Council District 6 and candidates for Office 35 of the San Diego County Superior Court to the Triton's Choice Candidate Forum. Although City Council District 6 candidates Kent Lee and Tommy Hough and Office 35 of the San Diego County Superior Court candidates Rebecca Kanter and Mike Murphy were all invited and confirmed to attend the Triton's Choice Candidate Forum, Tommy Hough and Mike Murphy were unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances. After all of OTTA United’s hard work and dedication, over 80 tritons were able to come and speak to local San Diego candidates, representing a resounding victory for student engagement in local politics. Leaders from the Youth Voter Engagement Project (YVEP), one of OTTA United’s project initiatives, worked tirelessly to bring this successful UC San Diego candidate forum to fruition. Nicole Lillie and Yvania Rubio, the Project Director and Assistant Project Director of YVEP, provided a space for dialogue between candidates and UC San Diego students so as to encourage mutual interaction and mitigate voter roll-off. According to William K. Hall of Bradley University, voter roll-off refers to “voters who cast ballots in the major partisan race such as president, governor, or U.S. Senator, but who do not cast their votes in [down-ballot elections such as] the judicial election.” Through the space that was provided, elected officials were able to speak about the importance of the city council and superior court races and why students should pay attention to these particular elections, with the intention of bridging any potential gaps in understanding about local candidates and forging confident young voters. Hosted at UC San Diego by OTTA United and our partner student organizations at UC San Diego, we called upon candidates to listen to students’ voices, and local San Diego candidates stepped up to the plate. As we celebrate the success of the Triton’s Choice candidate forum, OTTA will continue to champion student voices and listen to youth needs. Thank you to our collaborators for making this event possible, including: Associated Students of UC San Diego, Office of Local Affairs Graduate & Professional Student Association Seventh College Student Council Eleanor Roosevelt College Student Council Thurgood Marshall College Student Council Next Previous
- Midway Project | Our Time To Act
MIDWAY PROJECT BACKGROUND Midway District, neighboring Old Town San Diego, is home to many notable attractions in SD such as Kobey’s Swap Meet and Pechanga Arena. In 2020, voters approved an increase in the development. Recently, however, the city has recently blocked bids that prioritize housing over building a new stadium. We are advocating for housing to be the first priority in new development. TAKE ACTION GOALS ADVOCATE for housing to be the top priority in Midway development. CALL for the City Council to reject the Mayor's recommendation to cut two bidders out, and instead implement a clear process for analysis and selection. MORE RESOURCES "Politics Report: What San Diegans Are Worried About Now, " Voice of San Diego (April 2022) "Not only do housing and homelessness now rank as the biggest problem for nearly 60 percent of the city, according to this poll, but virtually every other concern has faded from view. No single issue gets more than five percent of people’s attention." "San Diego’s sports arena site is up for grabs. These are the 5 teams competing to remake the property, " San Diego Union-Tribune (January 2022) "What is the strongest bid for San Diego’s sports arena site? " San Diego Union-Tribune (February 2022) "City Staff Picks Preferred Sports Arena Bid, " Voice of San Diego (April 2022) "The staff recommendation shows how much Mayor Todd Gloria is prioritizing a new arena on the land, at least in the case of one of the bidders, over affordable housing.” "San Diego Has a Housing Crisis, Not an Arena Crisis, " Voice of San Diego (April 2022) "Public lands should be used for the greatest public good – which in San Diego means housing, housing, and more housing. City leaders have articulated the importance of housing but the real test will be their decision at Midway." "For the city to give priority to a state-of-the-art entertainment complex, intended to attract more concerts and minor-league sports teams, would be a gross example of misguided public planning. Without sufficient housing, San Diego can’t attract new jobs. Higher education can’t attract students."
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- Housing Justice | Our Time To Act
Join us in organizing youth towards fighting for Housing Justice in San Diego! Our efforts to eliminate exclusionary zoning, enact social housing, and end youth homelessness will create a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future for us all! SAN DIEGO IS PRO-HOUSING PAST EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS SHARE YOUR STORY CYAN INTEREST FORM OUR SOLUTIONS THE PROBLEM HOUSING RESOURCES SCHEDULE A MEETING #HOPESD THE PROBLEM 12% of the unsheltered population of San Diego County are youth. That number represents more than 1,500 youth . source: sdyouthservices.org San Diego , like many cities across California and the country, is facing a major housing crisis . While in recent years leaders have begun trying to address this human rights crisis, we've simply been fighting the symptoms. To take steps in tackling the housing crisis, we must address and target the root causes. Some of the root causes of the housing crisis we seek to address through our projects are as follows: Lack of commitment to smart development and policies, that will begin to address the systemic issues we face from decades of inaction on housing and transportation planning and development. Failure to plan for our city's growth in the past and present. The stigmatization of and misinformation around increased density, multi-family homes, and public housing. History of exclusion in land planning and housing and transportation policy decisions, especially of youth and other marginalized communities WHAT WILL IT TAKE? 108,036 is the number of housing units the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) determined San Diego would need to build by 2029 in order to adequately serve our rapidly growing city. However, since the report was released in 2021, San Diego's built less than 20,000 new units to reach that goal. This crisis is so much more than the numbers though. To achieve housing justice in San Diego we need to tackle the systemic and harmful policies of our past as we reimagine our lived environments for the future. Using our lived experiences and youthful creativity, we must collaboratively create the solutions we want to see. What is the solution to such an overwhelming and long-term problem? We need to tackle the systemic and harmful policies of our past as we reimagine our lived environments for the future. We play our part in advancing this solution by organizing youth in San Diego, stakeholders that have been historically excluded. Youth are overwhelmingly pro-housing, but our voices and perspectives are often left out of the decision-making process due to intentional and circumstantial barriers to entry. Our strategy is to increase the capacity, confidence, and ability of impacted groups, predominately youth, to be a part of the solution. Together we will: Host educational community events Foster a supportive pro-housing community by organizing Connect youth stakeholders to the broader pro-housing community Bolster passionate young leaders in the pro-housing movement Find ways to maximize the benefits of current investments in infrastructure as our city continues to grow and develop Inspire creative collective action to call for smart future-oriented solutions Counter-overrepresented anti-housing voices currently dominating the narrative We have recently split this work into three focus areas. Eliminating Exclusionary Zoning Eliminating decades old policies denying justice to many San Diegans seeking a home in our region. Enacting Social Housing Creating opportunities for mixed-income communities free from rent burden. Ending Youth Homelessness Addressing the very present crisis impacting youth across the region by connecting youth with resources and providing lived-experience-informed feedback to service providers. Problem Solution Consider applying to an open position on one of our Housing Justice teams and join the fight for housing justice in San Diego! APPLY TO A HOUSING TEAM Apply now on our Open Positions page! This crisis is more than statistics and bullet points; housing is a human right and storytelling is part of the solution. TELL YOUR HOUSING STORY Make your voice heard and share your perspective. TIME FOR SOME HOPE ... San Diego is Pro-Housing! No, literally... At the end of 2022, San Diego was one of 6 cities to earn the State Pro-Housing Designation. However, the fight is far from over. We must continue to push for pro-housing policies and ensure the progress we've already made to earn such a designation is not lost. Join us in this effort. At Our Time to Act, we have HOPE for the future of housing and transportation in San Diego. We believe that more housing options for our fellow residents mean preventing exclusion in this beautiful place we call home. If you also believe that there is HOPE for our future, we would love for you to join us in the fight. There are plenty of ways to get involved. If you want to learn more about our work and how to get involved in housing justice, please check out one of our past info-videos. Keep an eye out for new videos related to our current work coming soon. Please consider joining our newsletter to keep up to date on ways to support the cause, or meet with one of our Housing Justice Directors if you have any questions! Applications to join one of our housing justice teams are open, if you are passionate about creating more housing opportunities to prevent exclusion in San Diego, consider joining our team! OPEN POSITIONS Apply to join one of our Housing Justice teams working to end the housing crisis. PAST #HOPESD INFO & VIDEOS Want to learn more about the housing crisis and policies in San Diego? We have you covered. SCHEDULE A ONE-ON-ONE Schedule a one-on-one with our Executive Director JOIN THE NEWSLETTER Keep updated with our progress and other projects. YOUTH ARE PRO-HOUSING! Find more videos on our Youtube Channel ! HOPESD HOUSING RESOURCES We understand that much of the work we do in housing justice is pushing for long-term solutions to lasting and systemic problems. Due to the nature of housing and land-use policy and development, the housing crisis is impossible to solve overnight. While this can be discouraging, we cannot let this get in the way of our fight for a better future. If we don't start now, we will never achieve a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable housing and transportation future for San Diego. That being said, we are also aware that many of the problems we intend to solve are everyday realities for many San Diegans, especially youth. Below are some resources that seek to address the housing crisis in the short-term and provide some relief to the issue of housing insecurity and the challenges that can arise as a result of it. TRANSITIONAL AGED YOUTH SERVICES THE CENTER HOUSING SERVICES UCSD BASIC NEEDS ASSISTANCE FORM SD YOUTH SERVICES RESOURCES CAL FRESH (GROCERIES) SDSU ECONOMIC CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM GROSSMONT COLLEGE BASIC NEEDS CALWORKS (CASH AID AND SERVICES) SDCCD BASIC NEEDS RESOURCES SD MESA COLLEGE BASIC NEEDS Resources PHOTOS FROM PAST EVENTS Past Events MEET THE TEAM! MASAKI MENDOZA he/him/his Director of Housing Justice Eliminating Exclusionary Zoning masaki.mendoza@ourtimetoact.org AAROHAN HARIHARAN he/him/his Director of Housing Justice Enacting Social Housing aarohan.hariharan@ourtimetoact.org ALONDRA HERRERA she/her/hers Housing Justice Organizer Ending Youth Homelessness alondra.herrera@ourtimetoact.org NOAH GONZALEZ he/him/his Housing Justice Organizer Eliminating Exclusionary Zoning noah.gonzalez@ourtimetoact.org LOUIS AVALOS he/him/his Director of Housing Justice Ending Youth Homelessness louis.avalos@ourtimetoact.org
- Director of Organizing
< Back to Open Positions Director of Organizing 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, or the Senior Director of Programs if hired, the Director of Organizing is responsible for finishing the design and launching the Civic Youth Action Network (CYAN). In the future, the Director of Organizing may have a team of direct reports. JOB DESCRIPTION The Director of Organizing will launch and run CYAN, OTTA United’s flagship program and primary way of organizing youth. CYAN identifies, recruits, and equips youth organizers with the ability to change their communities — after youth act, they are uplifted into leadership opportunities at CYAN. Key job responsibilities include: Garnering support for CYAN from community nonprofits, funders, and youth Launching CYAN's first local/regional location in San Diego Spearheading program design (building upon the current framework) and implementation Selecting and leading a local/regional program team Working directly with CYAN members in trainings, organizing campaigns, and increasing membership Coordinating with the OTTA United team, including the Senior Director of Programs, Executive Director, and Board of Directors REQUIREMENTS DREAM ROLE This is the dream role for someone with a strong understanding of organizing, a passion for serving youth, and a commitment to building a successful program from scratch. 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 Director position, expected hours fluctuate from 15-25 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
- Nicole Lillie
Nicole (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of University of California, San Diego where she received her BA in Political Science - Public Law. Before joining Our Time To Act, Nicole was heavily involved in community service work as well as voter registration and education efforts. She led her high school's Rotary Interact Club, establishing lasting bylaws and garnering over 70 regular volunteers over 3 years. In 2019 and 2020 she led [pre-]voter registration drives, [pre-]registering over 300 high school students. In July 2022, they joined Our Time To Act as our Youth Voter Engagement Director, and in January 2023 became the Director of Housing Justice. Nicole now serves as Our Time To Act's Executive Director. In 2023, Nicole was honored by the OTTA team as Staff of the Year. They were also previously awarded 2022 Passionate Leader of the Year. Nicole believes the current state of housing in San Diego is unacceptable and that youth have the power to change it. She is passionate about organizing her peers to take transformative action toward housing justice. The housing crisis is an intersectional issue and solutions must be informed by those disproportionately impacted by it. Housing may be a complicated topic, but youth have an unmatched capacity for learning. In order for youth to play this critical role in shaping the future of their communities, they must have access to the institutional knowledge, resources, and skills to claim and wield their power together. Nicole is honored to work alongside San Diego's powerful youth community to practice a better future in the present. < Back Nicole Lillie Executive Director Nicole (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of University of California, San Diego where she received her BA in Political Science - Public Law. Before joining Our Time To Act, Nicole was heavily involved in community service work as well as voter registration and education efforts. She led her high school's Rotary Interact Club, establishing lasting bylaws and garnering over 70 regular volunteers over 3 years. In 2019 and 2020 she led [pre-]voter registration drives, [pre-]registering over 300 high school students. In July 2022, they joined Our Time To Act as our Youth Voter Engagement Director, and in January 2023 became the Director of Housing Justice. Nicole now serves as Our Time To Act's Executive Director. In 2023, Nicole was honored by the OTTA team as Staff of the Year. They were also previously awarded 2022 Passionate Leader of the Year. Nicole believes the current state of housing in San Diego is unacceptable and that youth have the power to change it. She is passionate about organizing her peers to take transformative action toward housing justice. The housing crisis is an intersectional issue and solutions must be informed by those disproportionately impacted by it. Housing may be a complicated topic, but youth have an unmatched capacity for learning. In order for youth to play this critical role in shaping the future of their communities, they must have access to the institutional knowledge, resources, and skills to claim and wield their power together. Nicole is honored to work alongside San Diego's powerful youth community to practice a better future in the present. nicole.lillie@ourtimetoact.org
- Assistant Director of Advisory Services
< Back to Open Positions Assistant Director of Advisory Services Volunteer South Bay Area APPLY Rolling application. Priority given to applications submitted before September 30th. ABOUT THE ROLE The Assistant Director of Advisory Services is in charge of the Advisory Services, a broad range of services designed to enhance the capabilities of youth leaders. They are responsible for managing workshop events with the Event Coordinators, as well as providing training and partners for the Consultants. REQUIREMENTS Prior relevant experience preferred. Demonstrates strong networking and project management skills. Exemplifies strong leadership qualities. High school student or beyond. 8-10 hours, 2-3 meetings a week. Our scheduling is highly flexible. Values cooperation, creativity, growth-mindset. Exhibits organization, diligence, and dedication. Passion for youth empowerment. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION While pursuing our mission of youth empowerment, Our Time to Act United understands the importance of fostering a safe, welcoming, and positive environment for all. As such, the actions we take align with our values as an organization and as individuals. We value meaningful impact. We always seek to genuinely support those that we serve and the people within our organization. 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 is growth-minded and development-focused. We always have room to improve! Our organization promotes honesty, communication, and integrity. These values allow for us to be a cooperative, productive, and effective team. We praise creativity and ingenuity. Nothing is more exciting than thinking outside of the box or challenging the status quo. Applications are a two-way street. We make our values as an organization clear to you in order to make sure our team is the right fit—and we hope we are! Do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions regarding our organization, values, workplace environment, or the application process. APPLY
- 2022 Winter Gala – A Sky Full of Stars | OTTA United
YOU ARE INVITED: This was a monumental year for Our Time to Act United. From advocating for equitable representation of districts during redistricting, to joining our community for San Diego Pride, to enhancing youth and API civic engagement, we have had the privilege of serving our community and seeing our impact firsthand uplift youth. And now it is time to celebrate! We extend a humble invitation to attend our 2022 First Annual Gala: A Sky Full of Stars . We hope you can join us for a night full of excitement, including food from local businesses, a project showcase highlighting this year's efforts, and keynote speakers Aidan Lin, OTTA United's Executive Director, and San Diego's Mayor, Todd Gloria. When: December 11th | 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Where: Multi Purpose Room, in the Student Services Center, at UC San Diego SEE TICKET PRICES BUY YOUR TICKET BUY YOUR TICKET Ticket Price WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!










