John A. Wilson Building

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004

Phone: (202) 727-2643
Email: muriel.bowser@dc.gov

Chief of Staff:
Lindsey Parker

City Administrator:
Kevin Donahue

Director of the Mayor's Office of Legal Counsel:
Eugene Adams

Senior Advisor:
Beverly Perry

Director of Mayor's Office of Community Affairs:
Jackie Reyes-Yanes

Scheduling Requests:
mayor.dc.gov/page/invite-mayor

January 26, 2024

Letter from the Mayor

Dear Washingtonians,

On Monday, we launched applications for the 2024 Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program. For 45 years, MBSYEP has been providing a fair shot to thousands of young people in DC. There is just no other program in the nation like it.

The day before he was nominated for an Oscar, we heard from Jeffrey Wright about how the Summer Youth Employment Program opened up new possibilities for him.

A testament to the longevity of MBSYEP, after we heard about Jeffrey's experience in 1982, we also heard from Mychael, a current senior at School Without Walls and a talented young Washingtonian, about his more recent experience. Mychael is a participant in Young Doctors DC, which has been an important MBSYEP partner for the past ten years.

Both Jeffrey and Mychael's stories underscore what the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program is all about: it is a collection of great programs and employers who raise their hand and say I'm committed to having an enriching experience for young people, where I'm teaching them something in particular, but I'm also teaching them how to work, I'm teaching them how to dream, and I'm exposing them to different occupations.

Applications are now open for young people between the ages of 14 and 24 at summerjobs.dc.gov.

Sincerely,