Summer Youth Employment

Program Overview

Thank you to everyone who applied to the 2026 Summer Youth Employment Program. We're no longer accepting applications for this year.

The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) began in 1996 with Chapel Hill Police Captain Jeff Clark supervising four youth employees. The youth would work in Chapel Hill public housing neighborhoods picking up trash every day for four hours. The program has evolved to provide opportunities for youth to work in Town of Chapel Hill Departments, Orange County Departments, and various nonprofit agencies that receive funding from the Town of Chapel Hill.

Youth that are selected to participate in the program are offered temporary Town employment from June to August, working up to 20 hours a week for six to eight weeks. The youth also attend career preparation workshops where they learn interviewing skills, resume writing, work behaviors and expectations.

Program Requirements

Participants must:

• Live in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School District
• Be between 14 – 18 years of age as of June 1st
• Not exceed the program's household limits. See chart below. Email us for more information for larger households.

Key Dates

What Jobs Could I Have?

Job categories include:

• Clerical/Office Assistant: Filing, shredding, reviewing, scanning documents; answering phones; performing data entry/research; shelving/organizing books.
• Camp Counselor: Working with kids; providing support for indoor/outdoor sports activities; participating in and helping with arts and crafts activities.
• Community Services Assistant: Participating in community events; creating social media posts; assisting with event setup/breakdown.
• Maintenance Assistant: Working with tools; providing general maintenance (carpentry, painting, plumbing, vehicle, and groundskeeping); assisting with unit inspections.

Contact Us

Email us at summeryouthemployment@townofchapelhill.org, or call Jackie Thompson at (919) 969-5081.