Ohio Valley Youth Network

After School Program Outside School Time Enrichement. The OVYN Sycamore Center provides daily meals and 60 instructional, recreational and leadership programs, Monday to Friday, free of charge, to 400 students aged 5 to 18 in a beautifully restored historic church building, located steps away from Steubenville High School and Wells Elementary School. The program provides a healthy, safe and caring environment to Jefferson County's most vulnerable children under the compassionate supervision of over 80 qualified personnel, including licensed teachers, professors, entrepreneurs, business owners, behavioral health professionals, pastors and retirees. After school programming is essential to the health and safety of Steubenville's downtown core and the rebirth of community pride. Our after-school classes build up the emotional and behavioral health of our children and families by offering a variety of classes which include topics addressing food security, healthy choices, personal safety, education, culture, and recreation. Most of the participating children come from impoverished homes, with a single care giver who struggles with inadequate help and scarce resources. Activities include daily meals, academic tutoring, homework help, nutrition and healthy meal preparation, job readiness, job training, business skills, money management, character education, life skills, sewing, martial arts, tumbling, dance, Bible clubs, and internet access via chrome books. Since Sycamore opened its doors, we have provided job training to local teens. We partner with the Community Action Council to train high school students in job skills while they assist with the children's activities, meals, and food distribution. Under this employment program, teens develop positive work habits at Sycamore as subsidized employees. We train, counsel, and encourage the students to do their best, while being ready to provide potential employers with references. We distribute over 800 free weekly meals to Steubenville's children. The OVYN Sycamore Center complements the efforts of its peer organizations without duplicating their work. The OVYN gathers skilled, compassionate adults and multiple sources of practical help to maximize the impact of Sycamore's positive activities and consistent mentorship. Our leaders include over 80 qualified, compassionate personnel, including licensed teachers, professors, entrepreneurs, business owners, behavioral health professionals, pastors, and retirees. These accessible, equitable and effective programs need to be offered in an environment that is as accessible, healthy, and safe. As a distinct local influencer, the OVYN provides leadership and coordination for over 30 partner organizations, which include churches, businesses, non-profit and government, who serve the local youth. We deliver high-quality transformative learning experiences in a unique faith-based setting, which does not discriminate against beneficiaries. Due to the popularity of our programs, our building is used seven days per week by over 400 children and 250 adults. In addition to our After School Enrichment Monday to Saturday, we host other organizations, such as Brooke Hancock Family Resource Network, Kiwanis meetings, Impact Church services, Vagabond Ministries, Community of God's Love services, and Lemaster's Christian Martial Arts Academy.

Food for Children. In addition to daily meals during programming, we feed under-resourced children throughout the year. We assemble and distribute 400 take-home meals per week at the curbside of a local elementary school during the school year and deliver to 9 under resourced neighborhoods through the summer.

Family Engagement featuring K to 12 students and families, serving approximately 800 attendees and 20,000 online viewers. Performances include Valley's Got Talent Contest, VGT Kids' Edition, Old Fashioned Country Christmas, Retro Dinner Concert, Café Sy Summer Concert Series, 30 Days of Hope online concert series, Outdoor Gospel Concert, African Children's Choir, Bacalaureate Service, Bible Literacy clubs, Sunday service partners, and many other concerts, dinners, and family/community events.