About two dozen high schoolers are getting an early start to potential career paths thanks to a Syracuse kick-start program.
They will spend the next few weeks helping out various non-profits in the community through the Terra Summer Internship Program.
The Food Bank of Central New York is just one of the sites students will be lending a helping hand, sorting food and planning fundraising events.
Organizers say the program is a great opportunity to get some real-world experience, while also giving back to the community.
"The benefits I think are incredible. We want to instill service, like I said before, so like i said before, these kids will get up to 90 hours of community service with us, they'll also gain leadership skills and some organization skills. They also are being paid on a need-base basis So they have a chance to put some money in their pockets," said the program's director, Joshua Turnquest.
In all, students will be spending about 15-20 hours a week at the non-profits.
The program continues until August 7 and concludes with a graduation ceremony.