Email Reminders for Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
Last Revised: October 30, 2025
- Issue Areas
- K-12 education
Program overview
Facilitating applications: Email reminders for summer youth employment program (SYEP) applicants alert prospective participants about their incomplete applications. The strategy aims to increase application completion rates by reducing the number of individuals who begin, but fail to complete, the application process.
Connecting youth with employers: SYEPs are typically run by city governments, school districts, or large community based organizations. The programs connect and match youth to a variety of local job opportunities. Participants are paid and develop professional experience which can aid them in securing future employment.
Sending a reminder: Email reminders can be incorporated by SYEP administrators as part of the existing application process. Reminders may be sent to individuals who had previously participated in the program when applications open and/or potential participants who have left their application incomplete and idle. Most applications are completed within a week of their creation date, so reminders are typically sent when applications have been left untouched for seven days, and additional follow up emails may be sent if applications remain incomplete thereafter.
Explaining benefits of participation: Effective reminder emails should notify participants that they have not completed the application process and should outline the benefits of participating in a SYEP. A study found that potential applicants responded better to reminders highlighting short-term gains, so reminders should focus on benefits like the wages participants earn during their SYEP experience. Emails could also highlight that the program provides professional development which will help with long-term career opportunities and earnings.
- Strategies
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Summer youth employment
A single study of a Philadelphia-based SYEP program shows that there is some evidence for email reminders as a strategy for increasing application rates.
A 2022 randomized controlled trial found that reminder emails increased Summer Youth Employment Program application rates by 1.3 percentage points and established that reminder emails emphasizing short-term monetary gains were more effective at encouraging application completion relative to notifications emphasizing long-term career development.
Emphasize financial gains: There is evidence that young people respond better to the promise of short term rewards relative to longer-term benefits. Emphasizing the compensation SYEP participants receive may increase application numbers to a greater degree relative to emails emphasizing career development opportunities.
Provide repeated reminders: In an evaluation of a SYEP program with email reminders, individuals who had begun, but not finished, their application received a reminder email every two weeks. Sending multiple reminders may help increase application rates among young people who miss previous reminders or otherwise do not finish their application.
Provide active enrollment support: After applicants are accepted into the program, some individuals may not be able to participate because of logistical and enrollment barriers. These issues are more likely to affect less advantaged youth. As such program staff should provide outreach to accepted individuals to provide guidance related to filling out employment paperwork, organizing transportation, and acquiring necessary identification documents.