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Stay up to date with Our Time To Act's latest announcements, updates, and news. Press Releases Empty Home Tax Proposal Coming to a Ballot Near You Mar 4, 2026 Announcing a new chapter of leadership at Our Time To Act! Jul 17, 2024 Announcing our new name: Our Time To Act Mar 4, 2024 Circulate San Diego Designates OTTA as Sustainable Growth Award Winner Sep 21, 2023 Activating Youth: Catalyst Leadership Second Workshop Aug 22, 2023 OTTA United Completes Youth Activation & Workplace Motivation Workshop Series with Catalyst Jun 10, 2023 OTTA United Celebrates Positivity and Community in Pro-Housing Listening Session May 6, 2023 Press Conference and Rally: The University Community is Pro-Housing Mar 11, 2023 OTTA United & students play a major role in successful push for more housing in San Diego Feb 15, 2023 OP-ED: "More Housing, For Us and Our Climate" by Nicole Lillie, Housing Projects Director Feb 6, 2023 Aidan Lin appointed by California Senate to new state-wide Youth Empowerment Commission Jan 18, 2023 Two young leaders, Nicole Lillie and Yvania Rubio, take new leadership roles on staff team Jan 17, 2023 1 2 3 1 ... 1 2 3 ... 3

Our team is crucial to the work we do. Scroll down to see where you can join in. Open Positions Open Positons On-Site (San Diego) Housing Justice Team Member Volunteer Position View Position San Diego, CA, USA Associate Executive Director (AED) Volunteer View Position 1 1 ... 1 ... 1

Born and raised in Orange County, Benjamin Wang (he/him/his) is a proud Taiwanese-American and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ben studies Political Science and Education Studies at the University of California, San Diego. A champion for education equity, Ben is a Supplemental Instruction Leader for the UC San Diego Academic Achievement Hub. In addition, Ben served as Recruitment Manager for STEMup4Youth, a nonprofit organization serving over 50000 students dedicated to bringing interactive science activities to underserved communities. Ben joined Our Time To Act in August of 2022 as a Voter Engagement Researcher, and is committed to increasing voter engagement for historically disenfranchised groups as well as speaking out for youth and student affairs. Ben is currently involved in an Our Time To Act initiative to study voter disengagement and apathy. Outside of his work, Ben is a distinguished violinist and pianist, a frequent gym-goer, an avid gamer, and a nationally recognized Naval JROTC cadet officer. In his free time, Ben enjoys volunteering at his local food bank and is a volunteer English tutor for non-native speakers. < Back Benjamin Wang AVEP Researcher Born and raised in Orange County, Benjamin Wang (he/him/his) is a proud Taiwanese-American and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ben studies Political Science and Education Studies at the University of California, San Diego. A champion for education equity, Ben is a Supplemental Instruction Leader for the UC San Diego Academic Achievement Hub. In addition, Ben served as Recruitment Manager for STEMup4Youth, a nonprofit organization serving over 50000 students dedicated to bringing interactive science activities to underserved communities. Ben joined Our Time To Act in August of 2022 as a Voter Engagement Researcher, and is committed to increasing voter engagement for historically disenfranchised groups as well as speaking out for youth and student affairs. Ben is currently involved in an Our Time To Act initiative to study voter disengagement and apathy. Outside of his work, Ben is a distinguished violinist and pianist, a frequent gym-goer, an avid gamer, and a nationally recognized Naval JROTC cadet officer. In his free time, Ben enjoys volunteering at his local food bank and is a volunteer English tutor for non-native speakers. benjamin.wang@ourtimetoact.org

< Back to Open Positions Executive Assistant Volunteer San Diego, South Bay Area, and/or Remote APPLY Rolling application. Priority given to applications submitted before September 30th. ABOUT THE ROLE The Executive Assistant supports the Executive Director and Associate Executive Director in administrative tasks to keep Our Time to Act United running smoothly. This includes internal and external communication, meeting management, presentation preparation, meeting minutes, and more. REQUIREMENTS No prior experience required. 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

Mehran is a master of Finance graduate from UCR. Currently, enrolled in Accounting program at UC Berkeley to obtain his CPA. Mehran has worked in different companies for the past eight years had has gain substantial amount of knowledge and experience in rolls such as office Administrative and Loan office assistant. He is very keen about accounting and as an accountant is very excited about join the Our Time To Act. He sees great potential in the organization and looks forward to growing his skills and accounting knowledge. < Back Mehran Piroozmand Accountant Mehran is a master of Finance graduate from UCR. Currently, enrolled in Accounting program at UC Berkeley to obtain his CPA. Mehran has worked in different companies for the past eight years had has gain substantial amount of knowledge and experience in rolls such as office Administrative and Loan office assistant. He is very keen about accounting and as an accountant is very excited about join the Our Time To Act. He sees great potential in the organization and looks forward to growing his skills and accounting knowledge. mehran.piroozmand@ourtimetoact.org

< Back to Open Positions Marketing & Media Specialist Paid San Diego APPLY Rolling application. Priority given to applications submitted before March 31st, 2022. ABOUT THE ROLE The Marketing & Media Specialist will assist the Outreach Team in developing OTTA United’s outreach and marketing campaigns, specifically in developing promotional material and digital assets. The ideal candidate is familiar with social media and corresponding trends; provides an exciting and creative approach to promoting OTTA United’s work; and has relevant experience in media and content creation (e.g. video, photography, digital media, etc.) REQUIREMENTS Position Responsibilities: Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Outreach and Graphic Designer & Marketing Strategist to curate marketing and outreach campaigns. Create visual content for various social media platforms, including, but not limited to, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Modality of content may vary across multiple disciplines (e.g. photo-editing, videography, video editing, audio editing, graphic design, etc.) Research ongoing trends in social media (e.g. trending content, keywords, hashtags, etc.) to develop relevant content. Assist in creating and managing content for the website. Attend staff meetings. Additional duties as assigned. Experience & Education: Current high school or undergraduate students preferred. Although not required, experience in the following is preferred: Photo editing software (e.g. Photoshop, Lightroom) Video editing software (e.g. iMovie, Adobe Premiere) Social media content creation Trend and data analysis Hourly Commitment: Average 8-12 Hours/Week Compensation $17.30 per hour ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION As a 501(c)(3) youth empowerment nonprofit, OTTA United is dedicated to building youth power (aged 15-24) in areas predominantly occupied by adults to benefit the community as a whole. 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. APPLY

< Back Announcing our new name: Our Time To Act Monday, March 4, 2024 Our Time To Act On Sunday, March 3, 2024, we proudly announced our new name: Our Time To Act . Why the change? The name reflects an intentional strategic shift. For the past few years, we have focused on putting ourselves on the map, building a network, and fostering an incredible community of youth and youth allies. With these foundations in place, it’s our time to take the next step toward bold collective action . While unity is still important to us and our mission, it’s now time for our name to communicate our highest priority focus: organizing youth to take ambitious action on the housing crisis. Our new name also brings a breath of clarity—it’s shorter and easier to remember. Why the housing crisis? Housing is a human right. Having a home is fundamental to survival and is grounded in basic rights and social justice issues. Suburban sprawl and lack of affordable, available housing dramatically contribute to houselessness. Low-density, exclusionary housing and slow production of new units exacerbate poverty, enforce race- and class-based segregation, and further reliance on cars that contribute to unsustainable living. Youth are in a state of perpetual housing crisis, forced to answer the question: where are we going to live today, tomorrow, and in 30 years? Housing justice is how we will tackle building a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for all youth. How are we working toward housing justice? Thanks to our Director of Housing Justice, Nicole Lillie, and our dedicated Housing Justice Organizers Aarohan Hariharan, Arianna Alvarado, Diego Washington, and Masaki Mendoza, we’ve engaged hundreds of students and renters on housing justice, passing policies like Sustainable Development Areas in San Diego. Furthermore, we launched our Civic Youth Action Network (CYAN) . CYAN fosters youth-led grassroots organizing by providing a space for youth to co-create solutions to the housing crisis in our local communities. Since January, we’ve held seven meetings and engaged 30+ youth in community-building and organizing. What’s next? To announce and celebrate this new beginning, we invite you to re-engage with our cause. Signing up for our newsletter , becoming a member of CYAN , or making a donation are all great ways to join us for the ride. Now, more than ever, is our time to act. Next Previous

< 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 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

< 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

Pashe crisp (she/her) is a high school student currently serving as OTTA’s co-director of Engagement. Aside from being a student, Pashe is involved in various youth and community-oriented organizations in the belief that youth own the future and hold the power to shape it, (?) presiding as the co-lead of Team Enough, co-chair of SDUSD’s Environmental Literacy Task Force, holding seat at the La Jolla Playhouse Teen Council, and of course Our Time To Act in the engagement team. Having ample experience in communications, social media management, organization, and outreach Pashe joined OTTA’s youth-centered mission in May 2024 and strives to engage and enrich communities alongside the engagement team. < Back Pashe Crisp Director of Engagement Pashe crisp (she/her) is a high school student currently serving as OTTA’s co-director of Engagement. Aside from being a student, Pashe is involved in various youth and community-oriented organizations in the belief that youth own the future and hold the power to shape it, (?) presiding as the co-lead of Team Enough, co-chair of SDUSD’s Environmental Literacy Task Force, holding seat at the La Jolla Playhouse Teen Council, and of course Our Time To Act in the engagement team. Having ample experience in communications, social media management, organization, and outreach Pashe joined OTTA’s youth-centered mission in May 2024 and strives to engage and enrich communities alongside the engagement team. pashe.crisp@ourtimetoact.org

< 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