“Schools out!” shouted Bobby “Do you have any plans for the summer?”

“My family’s going to the beach, and I want to play baseball everyday!” Replied Devon “Man I’m so excited for summer break, what about you Bobby”

“I got a sweet job with the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program. I’m gonna spend my summer making some money in the park” Bobby Answered

“That sounds awesome! Make sure to keep in touch.”

“Definitely!”

Summer break. A time for students to relax, unwind, and forget about the stresses of the school year. Or if you’re like Bobby, it is a time where you are not restricted by the mandatory 8 hours of school a day and you could go out into the world and get paid.

At NYCID we understand that essential skill development at an early age is important to a person’s career development. Robyn Piper, our new Program director for Summer Youth Employment totally gets this truth as well. Robyn is ready to help out the youth of New York City this summer and we couldn’t be more excited!

Robyn grew up in Staten Island and attended school here. She went to Trinity Lutheran School for elementary and middle school, and Notre Dame Academy for high school. After high school she chose to pursue a higher education and attended Adelphi University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications. After graduating from Adelphi Robyn still wasn’t finished with her educational journey and enrolled in the graduate program at Hofstra University. At Hofstra she obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Rhetorical Studies and decided it was time to put her skills into action.

While she has a lot of skills that could help the community, Robyn also has some fun ones! She is classically trained in piano and bakes a mean cupcake, if you ever want to challenge her to a bake-off, or need some help with reading sheet music. Robyn is passionate about making the SYEP work for everyone. She believes that properly educating the youth is the key to a healthy community and she doesn’t just mean physical health. She is talking about the mental, spiritual, and socioeconomic well being of all people in the community. According to Robyn, when we invest in our community through job training and placement, relationship building, and by giving access to educational opportunities, everyone reaps the benefits.

Robyn is a lifelong learner who also loves to teach. She is also a product of perseverance and resilience, which makes her a good match for the SYEP. She has overcome many obstacles in her life where she was left with no choice but to push through and survive. Robyn is proud to work with NYCID because her values align so closely with the values of our organization.

We are confident in Robyn to take on the full responsibilities of her new position and can’t wait to see what she does with the program. If you have any questions about the Summer Youth Employment Program or would like to get involved please email Robyn at [email protected].