BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The Bucyrus Public Library has been awarded a $33,200 grant from The Community Foundation for Crawford County. This grant will be used to expand the highly successful LEVEL UP program and offer additional community events at the library.

The LEVEL UP program, developed in partnership with the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center, the Ohio Afterschool Network, and the Friends of the Bucyrus Public Library, encourages young adults to explore and prepare for future careers and college enrollment. It provides hands-on experience with equipment and technology used by professionals in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) fields. Participants have engaged with tools such as Fusion 360, the Adobe Creative Suite, and Sphero robots.

Since its inception, LEVEL UP has seen remarkable success, with hundreds of teens completing over 2,500 activities and projects in the first year. Due to this success, the Bucyrus Public Library has expanded the program into LEVEL UP Plus, which includes young adults and adult patrons. This expansion requires increased resources to offer additional programs.

“Through The Community Foundation for Crawford County’s generosity, the library can continue expanding our new LEVEL UP program and expand the resources the community has access to as well,” shared Youth Services Manager Kolter Kiess. With the additional resources and the library’s Skillshare subscription, patrons can participate in guided and self-guided activities through LEVEL UP (Plus).

The LEVEL UP program is currently offered from 3:30-6:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. As part of the expansion, the library has begun hosting LEVEL UP Plus activities for young adults and adults on Mondays and Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30 PM, with additional programs on the second Saturday of each month from 11:00 AM-1:30 PM. Due to limited supplies, LEVEL UP Plus participants must register for guided activities, which are held on Mondays.

The library also plans to host community events such as Cafe Concerts and Open Mic events. For Cafe Concerts, the library will hire music groups for small, intimate, and free concerts. Open Mic concerts will provide a low-stakes venue for aspiring musicians to showcase what they have learned from LEVEL UP music programs. Additionally, the Bucyrus Public Library will partner with the Bucyrus Chamber of Commerce to support the creation and marketing of young adult items to be sold at Kid’s Market Days on First Fridays. The library will also continue hosting art shows originally sponsored by Mid-Ohio ESC’s SPARC Ready for Hire program to showcase the various projects created by LEVEL UP participants.

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