Summer of Opportunity Program (SOOP)
About
The City of Rochester is partnering with RochesterWorks to offer employment and internships through the Summer of Opportunity Program/Summer Youth Employment Program (SOOP/SYEP) for youth ages 14–20. Gain real-world experience with a diverse range of employers and internship partners from the greater Rochester community. The program provides six to eight weeks of paid work experience for youth currently enrolled in middle school, high school, or actively pursuing a high school equivalency.
Youth who reside outside the City of Rochester should visit Rocsummeryouth.com for more information and resources.
Apply in 2025!
The documents below are required with a complete application:
- Work permit (For guidance on obtaining a work permit, click here)
- Social Security Card (If you don't have one, click here to get one)
- Valid photo identification issued by a government agency (Driver's License, DMV non-driver I.D., Passport, School I.D.)
- Most recent official report card (showing name, address, GPA, and school name)
- Not accepted:
- Partial screenshots of report cards
- Progress reports
- Online reports
- Not accepted:
- Application Signature Report
Youth Employment Services offers the Summer of Opportunity Program (SOOP) to City residents ages 14-20. SOOP operates in collaboration with the RochesterWorks Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) through marketing and a joint youth application.
The primary difference between the two programs is eligibility. SYEP requires applicants to meet residency and income guidelines. SOOP only requires residency within the City, no matter which school applicants attend or the family income. All applicants must be enrolled in middle school, high school, or a high school equivalency program (TASC).
SOOP operates July through August, providing internships and employment opportunities for youth. Students must complete the online application process, including the submission of required documents. After completing both steps, applicants are assigned to either SOOP or SYEP to continue the process.
We refer successful applicants to organizations in the public, not for-profit, faith-based, and private sectors.
We actively recruit host sites throughout the community that can provide real-world work experiences to SOOP interns. Interested organizations must complete an Intern Request Form for consideration. For more information, contact Youth Employment Services (YES) at 585-428-6366 or SOOP@cityofrochester.gov.
- Names must be submitted with your intern request form
- Youth must be a City of Rochester resident
- Youth must be 14 years old by May 31st
- Youth must complete the entire application process to be considered eligible by March 1st
NO!
Interns receive a weekly stipend from the City of Rochester. Host sites are responsible for providing their interns with 20 hours of meaningful work experience through coaching and mentoring for the full six weeks. For many youth, this is their first opportunity to gain real-world work experience.
Hosts also track intern hours. Youth Employment Services will provide follow-up job coaching to ensure that both program participants and SOOP partners have a beneficial and enjoyable experience.
The application opens yearly on February 1st. We will refer youth to you for interviews in the spring and continue their onboarding process after you have made your selections.
Selected youth will begin their internships in July 2025. Interns are required to complete the full six weeks of participation with a maximum of 20 hours per week.