Washington, DC – The DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) expresses its deepest condolences to the Barry family and the city of Washington, DC on the passing of former Mayor and Councilmember Marion Barry. Marion Barry’s lasting legacy at DOES and on the city he loved is his creation of the District’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which celebrated its 35th anniversary this year.
In 1979, Marion Barry, as Mayor, established the summer jobs program with the commitment to find summer employment for every District youth between the ages of 14 and 21 who wanted to work – a model still in effect today. In conjunction with SYEP, Barry established the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute (MYLI), a year-round program to train District youth in the concepts of leadership and self-development. At the 2014 SYEP closing ceremonies, DOES honored and recognized Barry with a Visionary Award.
“Marion Barry not only leaves a lasting legacy on the District of Columbia, but his commitment to the young people of this city can be felt nationwide by those around the country who received their first jobs through the District’s summer jobs program he created 35 years ago,” said DOES Director Tom Luparello. “Hundreds of thousands of youth have passed through both SYEP and MYLI, and Marion Barry can be credited with having the vision to help generations of District residents develop the skills, attitudes, and commitment necessary to succeed in the workforce as well as to learn life skills and responsibility that lay the foundation for how to succeed in life. He will be missed.”
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About DOES:
The mission of the Department of Employment Services is to plan, develop, and administer employment-related services to all segments of the Washington, DC metropolitan population. We achieve our mission through empowering and sustaining a diverse workforce, which enables all sectors of the community to achieve economic and social stability.
