Summer Youth Employment Program

Program Overview

The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides valuable work experience to high school youth from Boston and Cambridge, while contributing to Harvard’s summer staffing needs. SYEP offers a unique six-week experience for students and hiring managers alike, and is designed to assist local youth with developing positive work habits and professional experience as well as gaining motivation to further their education and pursue career options.

Please note that this program is currently only available for high school students from Boston and Cambridge Public Schools. 

Job Request Form

Job descriptions should be submitted via the Qualtrics Job Request Form Submission Survey.

SYEP Program Calendar:

Date Event
January to April Managers complete and submit internship request form via Qualtrics; open positions are shared with community partners on a rolling basis
March to April Community partners identify interested students for each job opening
May to June Student interviews, hiring, and offer letter distribution
June Onboarding commences
July Program begins
August Program concludes

Program Information:

Types of Positions: Both full-time and part-time positions are supported by the program -- with a general recommendation of 25-35 hours/week -- as well as varying work formats including fully on-campus, hybrid, or fully remote. 

Summer Cohort: The high school students participate in a weekly cohort program, held on Fridays, focusing on professional development and skill building. This three hour/week program is included in the total weekly hours that a student works, and are paid for by the host department. 

Costs: Participating departments are responsible for hiring and paying the students. The hourly rate is subject to change but is currently $17/hour. Typically, students work 20-35 hours per week (up to 40 hours/week max). The schedule may be adjusted as needed, to align with the needs of the role, the needs of the student, and your budget. Hiring departments are also responsible for providing a laptop to their student(s).  

Funding: While host departments are generally responsible for the program costs noted above, please note that there is a fund available to assist departments with this program cost if needed. Please make a note when submitting your position(s) request on how much support you need (if any) and the SYEP Programs Team will evaluate it on a case-by-case basis. Funding is not guaranteed, but we will do all that we can to try to assist.

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Resources for Hiring Managers

Are you thinking of hiring a Summer Youth Employment Program high school student to work with you this summer? If so, please refer to the following as next steps: 

Job Descriptions: 

Job descriptions should be drafted on the SYEP Job Request Form (link opens as a Microsoft Word document), and submitted via the Qualtrics Job Request Form Submission Survey.

We have created a number of sample job descriptions, for your review and reference. You are welcome to copy, paste, and edit as best describes the job you hope to fill. Please be sure to include work format details (such as schedule, hours/week, where work will be performed, etc.) directly in the job description document as well.

If needed, the SYEP Programs Team can also work with you to assess your needs and to help create the most suitable job description.

Interviews: 

Once Harvard departments have submitted job descriptions via Qualtrics, the SYEP Programs Team works with our community partners to identify high school placements. Those community partners are: 

  • Boston Private Industry Council (located in every Boston Public High School) 
  • City of Cambridge, Office of Workforce Development, Teen Program  

Typically, managers conduct interviews with 1-2 students per role (maximum). These interviews are typically held in May.

Onboarding: 

Once you have completed interviews and an offer has been extended and accepted: 

  • Your team is responsible for following your local onboarding processes to onboarding your student, and for getting them set up on Harvard payroll and with Harvard systems 
  • We have provided a checklist (linked below) of the steps and forms that you and your local HR Office will need to complete 
  • Please refer to the FAQs page (also linked below) or contact the SYEP Programs Team for additional support as needed 

First Day of Program:

  • The SYEP Programs team hosts a Student Welcome Breakfast and Orientation 
  • At this breakfast, students will learn about program expectations, take their Harvard ID photos (to be picked up by you and them after orientation), and take a tour of campus 
  • You (their hiring manager or a designated proxy communicated to the student beforehand) will meet them at the end of breakfast (typically around noon) and walk them back to your/their office space

Throughout the 6-Week Program: 

For your students throughout the summer: 

  • Hiring managers are responsible for assigning students’ day-to-day work, tracking progress, and approving time
  • In addition to their daily work within their respective Harvard departments, students will also be part of a cohort that meets for three hours each Friday; these cohort sessions focus on professional development and skill building, are required for the students to participate in (and to be paid for), and lunch will be served
  • Leaders of this cohort program will also be available to support students if they are struggling with any tasks at work
  • The SYEP Programs Team will serve as an internal Harvard liaison to support the success of each placement; please reach out to us directly for any questions or support

At the End of the 6-Week Program: 

We host a Student Farewell Reception. You are strongly encouraged to join your student at a luncheon where we celebrate all the students' efforts and successes over the previous six weeks! The format for this Farewell Reception (in person or virtual) is subject to change per program year. 

Resources:

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Resources for Students

Thank you for your interest in Harvard University! The Summer Youth Employment Program offers summer employment opportunities across various schools and units here at Harvard, including Harvard Athletics, Libraries, IT, Human Resources, Museums, and many more! These roles vary from administrative/office positions, to IT support positions, to laboratory roles.

Interested students should contact their Guidance Counselor or Career Specialist to learn about employment opportunities available at Harvard University, including how to apply for the SYEP. Work permits (when applicable) can also be obtained with assistance from these resources.

Work Permits:

Please note that all students under the age of 18 are required to obtain and submit a work permit prior to the start of the program.

Resources: