Every summer, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park coordinates paid work opportunities for youth aged 14 to 24 through the Department of Youth and Community Development’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP).
This critical program empowers young adults to explore future career paths, acquire essential job readiness skills, earn paychecks to support their families, and make a meaningful impact in their communities.
We are incredibly proud of the 1,159 participants who generated close to $2,000,000 in earnings this summer!
Among them, 318 Younger Youth participants, aged 14 to 15, engaged in Project-Based Learning (PBL) Groups. These groups collaboratively address community needs by creating projects focused on social justice or youth development. PBLs provide participants with opportunities to practice civic engagement and enhance their leadership skills.
This summer, PBL participants conducted five intergenerational workshops for over 100 elementary-aged students. One of these workshops was a carnival-style event at Sunset Park High School!
Other PBL participants worked with community-based organizations like Community Help in Park Slope (CHiPS) and City Meals on Wheels to address food insecurity through packaging and delivering meals.
For our Older Youth participants, the SYEP experience begins before summer even starts!
In early June, hundreds of students attended CFL’s annual in-person Job Fair. With resumes in hand, they participated in informational interviews with a variety of worksites. Partner worksites included medical centers, political offices, arts organizations, and CFL’s own programs! This unique event helps young people discover opportunities that align with their career goals.
In total, 841 Older Youth participants, aged 16 to 24, worked at 83 different worksites across the South Brooklyn area.
One of our newer SYEP worksites is Socceroof, an indoor space where soccer meets community through youth and adult programming. Participants got the chance to explore what a career in athletics would be like by supporting the classes, events, and pick-up games!
The Green-Wood Cemetery is a beloved worksite where SYEP participants help restore the 478-acre landmark while learning about the intersections of horticulture and history. This also included a cumulative research project presented to staff and parents.
We even had our very own group of SYEP participants working in the Center for Family Life offices! These wonderful participants helped Community Service Staff with food vouchers, stocked the food pantry, observed benefit enrollment, and assisted with Maimonides and NYU health studies.
We extend our deepest gratitude to our partner worksites and our utmost congratulations to all SYEP participants for their amazing work!
If you would like to support the Center for Family Life and this kind of programming, please consider making a donation today.
We are also grateful for the generosity of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church — who donated so many toys to the Center — and for our case planners in the Family Counseling Program who distributed the gifts to parents. 
