Within the New York City Education system, many students are offered jobs through the Summer Youth Employment program (SYEP). SYEP is seen as a good opportunity for many students to build skills and earn money over the summer. Students are being accepted and SYEP is a step in the right direction for bettering their futures.
The New York City Education System offers jobs over the summer to help students build their professionalism, explore different careers, and learn many new soft skills. This is through the fact that SYEP has many work-site places that students can choose. It is no doubt that many high school students do not know about what they want to do with their future path but being put into different work sites can help them discover new possibilities. This can lead to building valuable work skills that can make their futures brighter.
SYEP has benefited many New York City students. According to nyc.gov in 2025 the program held over 100,000 students and the same for 2024. SYEP has distributed about 150 million dollars in wages for students. Many who might be low income, disabled (D75 or D79). Also being very diverse as well.
SYEP has been used by high school students to make money over the summer. “SYEP is a good opportunity to get good work experience. By the end of summer, I believe, I will get paid around 700 dollars and I plan on saving the money for my future. Also it is not my first time doing SYEP so I have a gist of what it is and I feel now with making more money as I’m older it can benefit me more to help manage my money as well,” said Alyssa Ali, junior.
“For the summer I plan on working through SYEP. For the money I get from there, I will aside some spending money and also save some money. I want to have money that can last me throughout summer and also cover some things I really happen to look forward to. Also it can help me understand what a work environment is like and can shape how I deal with people and also manage income for my future,” said Darci Jagdeo, junior.
SYEP is open for students as young as the age of 14 meaning that all high school students are able to start earning money to save, spend, or enjoy.
To apply to SYEP, students must reside in the five boroughs and be legally allowed to work in the United States. However, some additional requirements may be in place for certain work-sites.
The documents that are needed but are not limited to are:
- Proof of age
- Social security card
- Proof of current address
If you have any questions, you are able to contact the SYEP website or call DYCD community connect at
+1-800-246-4646.
