Through a partnership with Bucyrus Public Library, SPARC Council’s Ready for Hire program, Level Up, is helping students level up their career-readiness skills by offering exciting programming and rewards.

In June 2022, the Ohio Department of Education selected and awarded $89 million in Summer Learning and Afterschool Opportunities Grants to 161 community-based partners out of more than 700 applications from across the state. Locally, two grants were awarded to SPARC Council, one to create summer programming in summer 2022, 2023, and 2024 and one to create after-school programming with fiscal oversight from the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center.

The program is offered at the library on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 3:30-6 p.m. with the possibility of adding Wednesday programming in the future. While the grant provides funding to offer the Ready for Hire program to students in grades 9-12, Bucyrus Public Library has opened up the program to all Crawford County students in grades 6-12.

Through the program, young adults have the opportunity to explore different areas of career study and college degrees to determine the level of interest or depth in which they wish to focus, divided into Tier 1, Tier 2, and/or Tier 3 activities. Program components include scheduled tracks for art, science, engineering, and technology and allow students the flexibility to individualize their programming. Students have the opportunity to receive introductory, hands-on training using some of the industry’s top-level programs and equipment.

So far this year, students have participated in a variety of programs including Create Digital Art With Photoshop, Create Your Own Board Game Challenge, Make Models for 3D Printing, Make Music With Logic Pro X, Horror Show Write Off, and much more. Students also have the opportunity to participate in mindfulness activities on most Fridays and complete self-directed courses throughout the week. While the spring program schedule is not set yet, tentative expansion of activities includes an introduction to basic coding, understanding recreational drone operation, creating videos (with Final Cut), and a comic book storytelling workshop.

By attending programs, completing self-directed projects, or accomplishing other tasks, students can work toward earning rewards such as a portable charger, Bluetooth speaker, and earbuds.

Kevin Fourman, the Crawford County site coordinator for the SPARC Ready for Hire Program, said, “Ready for Hire and BPL Young Adult intern candidates are being interviewed, and we look forward to offering paid internships for selected students to gain real-world experience and continuous mentorship by the staff at the Bucyrus Public Library.”

Students interested in participating in the outlined activities for the Ready for Hire after-school program may report to the Bucyrus Public Library in person to sign up as the program continues to take on new students. For more information, interested parties may follow the Bucyrus Public Library Facebook page, visit the Bucyrus Public Library website, or email Fourman at [email protected] or BPL Teen Services Manager Kolter Kiess at [email protected].

Submitted by the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center.