A list of community policies, programs and services available in Sheboygan with brief descriptions is found below. This list is broken into the eight Domains of Livability, as outlined by the AARP, which help focus the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities efforts.
• Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
o Community gardens – There are multiple community gardens within the city of Sheboygan, some created by private groups, non-profit organizations, and some created with the assistance of the City of Sheboygan.
o Maywood OWLS – Maywood Older Wiser Livelier Seniors feature casual, but informative outdoor programs with leisurely walks on Maywood trails to examine and learn about the many natural wonders of the park.
o Community Recreation Department – The department coordinates a variety of services to enhance the recreational opportunities and resources in Sheboygan. Examples of services offered are: Fishing centers and classes, painting and weaving workshops, multiple sports opportunities, golf lessons, massage classes,
and water exercise.
o Bookworm Gardens – Bookworm Gardens is a vibrant, playful botanic garden located in Sheboygan. The Gardens are inspired by children’s literature, the natural world, and the imagination. Bookworm Gardens, which is free and open to the public, allows seniors to connect to younger generations, offers many volunteer opportunities, and provides the opportunity to enjoy an engaging, inspiring, relaxing and energizing outdoor space.

• Transportation
o Shoreline Metro – The premier provider of public transportation in the Sheboygan Metro Area where their vision is affordable, dependable, safe and courteous transportation for the customers they serve and the communities they service. Shoreline Metro’s services include accessible buses for customers with mobility devices, and complimentary door-to-door paratransit services.
o NOMO Grant initiatives – In July 2005, the US Congress adopted a new transportation budget (SAFETEA-LU) which included special provisions to create a Non-motorized (NOMO) Transportation Pilot Program; Sheboygan County was one of four communities in the country selected to participate in this pilot program. As part of the pilot program, Sheboygan County received up to $25 million over four years to develop a network of non-motorized transportation facilities that connect neighborhoods, retail centers, schools, recreation amenities, and employment centers and will allow people to change the way they choose to move around through their daily lives.
• Housing
o Low income loans & support for home modification – Multiple non-profit groups offer housing rehabilitation assistance, including the City of Sheboygan. Home modification to address accessibility issues is included in some of these programs. When residents are notified of an issue by the Building Inspection Division, they are also given a list of resources that could potentially assist with their projects.
• Social Participation
o Senior Activity Center (SAC) – the SAC strives to be a dynamic community center encouraging wellness, learning and recreation for Sheboygan’s diverse semi-retired and retired residents. The SAC is one of only 13 sites in Wisconsin to be chosen by the National Council on Aging to host the Aging Mastery Program.
o JMKAC – The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) is a not-for-profit art museum operated by the Sheboygan Arts Foundation, Inc., located in downtown Sheboygan. The JMKAC encourages and supports innovative explorations in the arts by providing world class exhibits and performances, classes, and events. The Senior Activity Center is one of 17 partners in the Connecting Communities project,a collaborative residency program involving constituencies who have limited access to the arts.
o Master Gardeners Club – Master Gardeners are individuals who have an interest in horticulture, have taken Master Gardener training, and share their time and expertise with others. Master Gardeners receive training in horticulture through the University of Wisconsin Extension. In return for their training, Master Gardeners volunteer in horticulture programs and projects which enhance the community.
• Respect and Social Inclusion
o North High School ‘Alive Inside’ Music project – This is a project North High Honor Students participate in where students adopt an elder with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, visit with them on a regular basis, and play them carefully selected music tailored to their life, which can help them remember things about who they are and their past. This program also teaches the high school students about the importance of intergenerational connection and the value of life.
o Senior Activity Center and IDEAS Academy (Innovation through Design, Engineering, Arts and Sciences charter high school) collaboration- Over the course of the 2016-2017 school year the students became cultural geographers, studying how time and space changes social perspectives. Students interviewed adults at SACS to help them understand changing perspectives and wrote a book displaying their understanding of what it means to live in an intergenerational community, understanding what it truly means to be human.
• Civic Participation and Employment
o Neighborhood Associations – The City of Sheboygan has active Neighborhood Associations, recognized and supported by the City. These groups work together in cooperation with city staff and the Sheboygan Police Department to improve the quality of life in Sheboygan’s neighborhoods. Sheboygan has a Mayors Neighborhood Leadership Cabinet where representatives from these groups come and share progress and best practices, as well as learn about projects in the City, and various resources available in the community.
o Coffee with a Cop – This program was designed to provide the opportunity for community members to meet with local law enforcement in an informal space to discuss community issues and get to know officers while enjoying a cup of coffee. The program has been utilized nationally and has teamed area restaurants with their local law enforcement agencies with the overall goal of opening communication and building relationships with community members.
o United Way Volunteer Center – The Volunteer Center was created to assist in recruiting, training, and coordinating volunteer programs. Housed in the United Way building, the Volunteer Center serves the community by matching volunteer opportunities with willing volunteers.
• Communication and Information
o Mead Library programming – Mead Public Library, located in downtown Sheboygan, runs a variety of programming and holds many events throughout the year. The Mead Public Library strives to serve many populations in the community, and plans classes, events, and workshops that appeal to a wide range of people. Many events are free, and can serve to connect residents with new or ongoing hobbies, social groups such as book clubs, and educational programs about what is going on in our community.
o Technology and social media training – the Senior Activity Center and Mead Public Library both offer opportunities for community members to learn about electronic devices, technology, and various applications and software. These programs can help community members navigate social media and stay connected to family and friends.
o Audit UW Sheboygan classes – Wisconsin residents who are 60 years of age or older, as of the first day of the semester, may audit a course without charge if this does not result in additional laboratory or instructional costs. Senior auditors, if combining audit and regular credits, pay tuition for regular credits only.
• Community Support and Health Services
o ARDC – The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is a place where older people and people with disabilities, and their family and friends, can obtain information, advice, and help in locating services or applying for benefits. The ADRC provides a central source of reliable and objective information about a broad range of programs and services and helps people understand and evaluate the various options available to them.
o Meals on Wheels – Since 1970, Meals on Wheels of Sheboygan County volunteers have been delivering meals to the homebound, disabled, and elderly throughout Sheboygan County. In 2012, the organization began making their own meals from scratch and the medically-tailored meals are made using locally-sourced fresh produce.
o Dementia Friendly Community – Sheboygan County has created a Dementia-Friendly Community Task Force to gather information, educate the public, and survey the needs of residents dealing with memory loss along with the needs of their caregivers. This initiative is dedicated to building a community that values, supports and accepts individuals living with memory loss through leadership. Partnership and education. The community will use the information gathered by the Task Force to decide what it needs to do better to support people with dementia, increase sensitivity and reduce stigma associated with dementia, and help people stay in their homes longer.
o Senior food vouchers – Food vouchers are available for eligible seniors to be used for fresh produce and products from Sheboygan’s local farmers markets.
o Senior Dining Programs – Sheboygan County Senior Dining has eight sites throughout the county. They are welcoming places for adults age 60 and over to socialize and enjoy tasty, nutritious noon meals with other individuals. Each site has a variety of daily programs and activities.
o Nourish, CSAs, Community Dinners, Food Pantries – Each of these listed organizations and programs offer Sheboygan residents access and education around healthy local food, as well as a greater connection to the Sheboygan community.
o Family Caregivers Coalition – The mission of the Family Caregivers coalition in Sheboygan County is to identify, recognize, support and enhance the role of those affected by care-giving through community outreach, education, peer support and shared resources in order to help family caregivers thrive.
o SPARK! Project to support memory loss – SPARK! Program takes place in Sheboygan at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. This program offers free, engaging experiences for people with mild to moderate memory loss and their caregivers and friends. Through SPARK! Program, individuals cook, visit galleries, attend performances by visiting artists, and create projects inspired by the works of art they’ve seen.
The City of Sheboygan adopted a five year Strategic Plan in 2017 which includes many key strategies, objectives, and action steps that will directly improve age-friendliness. The city’s Strategic Plan has identified six focus areas, as well as objectives and action items within each which will positively impact Sheboygan’s age-friendliness. These six focus areas are: Quality of Life, Infrastructure and Public Facilities, Economic Development, Neighborhood Revitalization, Governing and Fiscal Management, and Communication. Below are examples of key strategies, objectives, and action items outlined in the plan that will undoubtedly positively affect Sheboygan’s goals toward being an age-friendly community:
• Pursue multi-modal transportation options to ensure the community is convenient, accessible and connected.
• Offer increased opportunities for civic engagement
• Ensure that open space, recreation facilities, and programs are designed to meet the needs of all residents, including senior citizens and the disabled
• Improve walkability, bikeability and mass transit options
• Coordinate with the Senior Activity Center to inform citizens about civic engagement opportunities
• Provide “Complete Streets” which enable safe access for all users
• Construct an Arts and Culture Plaza with recreational programming
• Ensure there is an adequate mix of rental and home ownership units
• Continue a neighborhood policing strategy
• Work with homeowners to encourage upgrades and improvements
• Continue to support neighborhood associations and organizations
• Provide timely, relevant information to decision makers and the public
• Include Senior Activity Center participants in planning related to the retirement population