LaGuardia Community College Hosts 2025 Summer Youth Employment Program

Application Deadline: February 28, 2025

LaGuardia Community College Hosts 2025 Summer Youth Employment Program

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (February 03, 2025) LaGuardia Community College/CUNY is proud to announce its 37th year as a site for the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), sponsored by the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD). SYEP, the nation’s largest youth employment program, offers career exploration and paid work experience each summer for youth aged 14 to 24. LaGuardia’s SYEP is the largest single-site location citywide. In 2025, LaGuardia’s SYEP is expected to serve over 4,000 New Yorkers, providing them with their first job and valuable professional experience. The six-week program runs from Tuesday, July 1 to Friday, August 15. The application deadline is February 28, 2025.

“This is the 37th year of continuous funding for SYEP at LaGuardia, the largest summer program in Queens. I am proud to have written the first grant for SYEP funding and to continue securing funds to empower young adults in New York City,” said Claudia Baldonedo, Ed.D., executive director of LaGuardia’s Youth Workforce Development Initiatives, which oversees LaGuardia’s SYEP. “The impact of the Summer Youth Employment Program at LaGuardia on the lives and careers of participants is immense. We have given many young people their first job and boosted their self-confidence. By opening their minds to new career possibilities, we’ve seen our program make a dramatic impact.”

LaGuardia has been a SYEP site since 1988, serving more than 200,000 individuals over nearly four decades. SYEP participants aged 16–24 are placed in jobs with local businesses and organizations, earning $16.50/hour for up to 25 hours each week for six weeks, with a maximum earning potential of $2,475. Those aged 14 and 15 engage in project-based learning on topics such as entrepreneurship and restorative justice, earning a stipend of $700 for the six-week program.

Jahsani Peters, a senior at Forest Hills High School, has been a participant in SYEP since the summer of 2023, when he was placed at Community Capacity Development (CCD) in Woodside. There, he worked with the team to support the community of Woodside Houses/NYCHA by hosting events and teaching conflict de-escalation tactics. Jahsani appreciated the meaningful work he found through SYEP, especially after a barista job didn’t work out for him. For Jahsani, SYEP provided his first job, allowed him to earn his own money to ease stress on his parents, and taught him about the workplace.

“Before SYEP, I didn’t know where to start when it came to work. I’m an introvert; I’m shy. SYEP taught me that sometimes you have to put yourself out there to be successful,” said Jahsani, who credits SYEP for teaching him how to make positive connections with people and preparing him for a future career.

Jahsani says his grades have improved since getting involved in SYEP and CCD. “My work ethic is strong; when I’m down, I’m down,” said Jahsani. After graduating from high school this year, Jahsani plans to pursue a college degree at LaGuardia Community College. He’s deciding between Animal Science, because he loves animals, or Music Recording Technology. Jahsani shares music he makes on TikTok.

Host an SYEP Participant(s)

“We are seeking offices, both on and off the LaGuardia campus, to provide support, guidance, leadership, and mentoring to SYEP participants. Hosts often benefit from new perspectives the SYEP youth bring to their offices. And there’s no financial cost to be a host; SYEP salaries are paid by the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development,” said Dr. Baldonedo.

LaGuardia leadership, faculty, and staff interested in being an SYEP worksite (with supervisor approval) should contact Kyle Peters-Hepburn at kyle.peters-hepburn@lagcc.cuny.edu or (718) 482-5034. Questions can also be directed to Dr. Baldonedo at claudiab@lagcc.cuny.edu or (718) 482-5236.

How to Apply for SYEP

Applications are being accepted through February 28, 2025. Applicants must be between the ages of 14 and 24 and reside in New York City. NYC residents attending college outside the city are also eligible to participate. To participate in LaGuardia’s SYEP, select LaGuardia Community College/Research Foundation as the provider.

Participants will be selected by random lotteries conducted by DYCD. More than 6,000 applicants are expected to apply for the 4,000 spots at LaGuardia’s SYEP this summer.

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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.

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