Neighborhood Bridges Sylvania, a nonprofit organization that champions direct local giving, launched in Sylvania in December, 2021. Its mission is to “bridge” communities with schools in providing basic needs, removing barriers, and seeking equity for students so they can succeed in school and life.
Neighborhood Bridges is a network of Sylvania Schools’ teachers, counselors, and social workers, in addition to community resource members, to advocate for students and families with short- term needs. Requests are fulfilled through the use of technology, including social media posts and email notifications.
Neighborhood Bridges began in Westerville, Ohio and operates its “Gateway for Kindness” in more than 40 communities nationwide. For more information,
visit https://neighborhoodbridges.org.
Heritage Sylvania preserves and celebrates Sylvania’s past through historic sites and archives. From the Lathrop House - the only Underground Railroad site open to the public in Northwest Ohio, to the Historic Village, it covers 150 years of history in the heart of downtown Sylvania.
Heritage Sylvania provides customized, hands-on programs for children and adults, in addition to ever-changing exhibits. For more information about hours, programs and history, visit www.heritagesylvania.org.
Since 1967, Sylvania Area Family Service, formerly known as Huntington Farms, has been serving the community in countless ways. As the largest 501(c)3 social service agency in Sylvania, Ohio, SAFS provides signature programs that positively impact over 12,000 individuals annually residing in the greater Sylvania community.
Vital services include a food pantry, hygiene distribution, health and wellness programs, personal care distribution, holiday assistance programs, a no-cost summer camp, school supply distribution, after-school tutoring, a Diversion Program, in collaboration with the Sylvania and Sylvania Township police, a community garden, and more. We collaborate with other organizations to offer additional joint services such as positive parenting classes, cultural enrichment, and initiatives focusing on improving mental health.
SAFS operates solely on donations, fundraising, grants, partnerships, and community support. To learn more, visit https://sa-fs.org/.
Since 1974, Sylvania Community Services (SCS) has served the youngest and the oldest in the community. In 2022, through SCS’ two programs Sylvania Child Care and Sylvania Senior Center, SCS delivered childcare and early childhood education programs to 400 children and offered socialization, recreational, educational and health-promotion activities to older adults who recorded nearly 30,000 engagement encounters at their center.
“Thanks to SCS, children enter kindergarten prepared to learn, parents take comfort knowing quality before/after school childcare is available and older adults in our community live healthier, more meaningful lives,” says Executive Director Sophia M. Lloyd.
Sylvania Community Services is a nonprofit organization established by the City of Sylvania, Sylvania Township and Sylvania School Board, and is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of local community leaders.
For more information,
visit www.sylvaniacommunityservices.org.
Sylvania STEM Center shares it is “a place for fun, STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) based activities.” The Center has programs for 1st- 12th grade and includes everything from competitive robotics teams, to summer programs, to after-school extracurriculars. It also has programs that bring STEM activities into the classroom.
The following programs are offered throughout the year.
Robotics teams (available fall and winter):
• 1-3rd grade – FIRST LEGO League Jr.; Intro to robotics and teamwork using WeDo robots.
• 4th-8th grade – FIRST LEGO League; Truly competitive robotics teams using SPIKE robots
• 7-12th grade – FIRST Tech Challenge; Teams transition from LEGO-based robots to 12v robots made from various materials.
• 9-12th grade – FIRST Robotics Competition; Premier robotics program. The team builds large 4’ tall 150 lb. robots.
Various summer camps are also popular during the summer and include activities for diverse age groups that range from an engineering academy, to block coding, robotic building challenges and more.
After-school extracurriculars and after-school programs are also available thanks to partnerships with several area schools/organizations.
To learn more, visit www.sylvaniastem.org,
Stemcenter@sylvaniastem.org, 419-283-3084,
7335 W. Sylvania Ave.