Learning and Earning: A Guide to Summer Jobs and Activities for NYC Teens

Summer is right around the corner, which means school will be out soon and teens in New York City will need to find fun, safe and productive ways to fill their time. 

So if you’re the parent or caretaker of a teen — don’t stress. We have you covered. This guide aims to provide a diverse list of ideas for different paid, volunteer, and free activities that you can consider for your teens. Note: The paid opportunities will require employment authorization and a valid social security number but many of the volunteer activities are open to all, regardless of immigration status. 

Also read: NYC Kids Get Free Meals This Summer At Parks, Pools and Libraries

Paid Opportunities 

The Train & Earn Program provides career training, paid internships, mental health support, case management, and job credentials to eligible youth. Overseen by the Department of Youth & Community Development, it also provides certification in high-demand sectors such as healthcare, tech, and government. To be eligible you must:

• Be an NYC Resident between the ages of 16 and 24 who is not in school and not working
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Have work authorization 
• Meet other requirements determined by providers. 

Advance & Earn is an initiative through the city’s Department of Youth & Community Development that provides comprehensive training to young people ages 16-24. Through this program, teens and young adults get exposure and professional opportunities in the culinary, transportation, construction, healthcare, and digital marketing industries. To be eligible, you must:

• Be an NYC resident between the ages of 16-24
• Not be in school or working 
• Have work authorization 
• Have at least a 5th grade reading level 
• For certain placements, participants must have a high school diploma or equivalent
• For a list of Advance & Earn providers, click here. 

For a list of non-city affiliated job opportunities, you can click here. 

Volunteer Opportunities 

Mount Sinai’s Unit Support Volunteer program provides high school students with an opportunity to help meet the hospital patients’ non-clinical needs, such as visiting with patients, fulfilling small requests, and helping orient patients to the hospital and unit. To qualify, you must:

• Be a high school student aged 15 or older 
• Commit to a consecutive 3-hour shift per week and 150 hours minimum
• Have a valid social security number 

Click here to learn more and apply. 

Prospect Park Volunteer Corps provides various gardening, cleanup, and beautification opportunities to volunteers. Depending on your age, you can sign up for different activities. For more information about the various options and requirements for each type of opportunity, click here. 

Fort Greene Park Conservancy hosts volunteer opportunities and events for individuals and groups. They have a calendar where you can find more information about various cleanup and conservancy events you can sign up for. They also have a volunteer garden event calendar and bi-weekly volunteer events. 

Central Park Conservancy has teen volunteer days for youth ages 13-18. These events take place on Saturdays and include opportunities to rake, weed, and mulch, depending on the season. Parents must fill out a consent form and  register their child in advance of the event 

Information Desk Volunteer at the New York Public Library’s flagship location, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is looking for volunteers to help on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and weekends to help distribute audio guides and conduct visitor surveys. To qualify you must:

• Be 14 years or older
• Be proficient with computers and tablets
• Bilingual candidates preferred, but all are welcome

For more information and to apply, click here. 

Explore more opportunities

New York Cares curates a list of volunteer opportunities by borough, date, and activity. You can filter for “teen friendly” events and this will populate a list of events that are accessible to young people. 

Youth Service Partners provides volunteer category-specific opportunities for young people. From animal welfare work to elder care and student leadership opportunities, you can browse different options and choose the activity that most interests your child.   

Teen Life lists NYC-specific volunteer opportunities for young people — take a look at their offerings and discover how your childe can help others and build their resume at the same time.