Summer Youth Employment Program

Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is a 6 week paid program for 14-24 year olds during the summer. In order to make money, you must complete a project and work in a specific position, such as being a camp counselor.

You must be living in one of the 5 boroughs AND be eligible to work in the U.S., which means it requires working papers. To get these, you can either visit the linked website or talk to your guidance counselor about getting them. To sign up, you must fill out the application which opens around the Spring/Summer, and can be found here. Selection is based on a lottery.

For younger students, once you get into the program, you are required to go to orientations where you will then choose what project-based program you want to be a part of, which is first-come-first-serve. As an older participant, you have more options and can potentially get a legitimate summer job. This specific Service Option is called SYEP Community Based, and is one of the more popular options since there are no requirements except the ones outlined above.

However, this specific Service Option is one of SYEP’s many options. There are different Service Options you can apply to based on requirements you meet: SYEP's CareerREADY, SYEP's Emerging Leaders, SYEP's Map to $uccess and SYEP's CareerFIRST. For example, if you face Homeless & Runaway (Residing in Shelters), Justice/Court Involved, Foster Care, or Receiving Preventive Services through ACS, then you are able to join SYEP's Emerging Leaders project.

The benefit to being part of SYEP is that you get a paid summer position while meeting new friends and discovering new interests. It is a great way to explore what you like and what work you might actually want to pursue as an adult.

On the official website, you can find more information about SYEP and how to apply. If you want to hear from a past participant, visit our Instagram and watch our latest post!