Summer Youth Employment Programs

The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), and the Work, Learn, and Grow Year Round Program (WLGP) are funded by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). As part of ICS’s Youth Department, SYEP and WLGP are aligned with ICS’s mission to facilitate youth development through empowerment, prevention, and intervention.

SYEP and WLGP offer neighborhood young people between the ages of 14 and 24 summer  and year round employment, respectively. Every effort is made to cultivate the talents and interests of such youth, and expose them to positive role models in the work world.

Goals of SYEP and WLGP:

• To provide a valuable work experience at job sites that are safe and well supervised
• To assist youth in identifying their career interests through exposure to different industries, occupations, educational pathways, and the requirements for success in each of them
• To enable youth to acquire good work habits and develop employment-related skills
• To facilitate long-term employment and self-sufficiency
• To enable youth to develop a greater understanding of higher education and career options available to them
• To enable youth to develop financial literacy and other competencies that will prepare them to succeed in their transition to adulthood

The program is staffed by Yolise Fajardo who presently meets all the qualifications of Program Director as mandated for NYC SACC licensure; Yandra Castillo, Program Aide; and a team of Youth Employment Coordinators  (all fingerprinted and cleared by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) as well as by the Department of Health (DOH)).

The program operates Monday – Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00pm.