HARRISBURG — Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-37) today announced the approval of $498,000 in state funding for The Citizen Science Lab (TCSL) in Allegheny County through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Grant program.
TCSL plans to use the funding, which was approved by PCCD’s School Safety and Security Committee today, to improve their afterschool STEM program which provides hands-on educational experiences for at-risk students ages 5-18 in underserved communities with high rates of violence, academic barriers, and economic challenges. Through its new Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Scientific Excellence in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, TCSL will offer STEM programming to youth in disciplines like aquatic robotics, environmental science, medicine, and more.
“Programs like The Citizen Science Lab are pillars in our community, providing much-needed enrichment activities for our most vulnerable students and keeping them off the streets after school hours,” Robinson said. “This grant will help TCSL expand its good work to serve approximately 500 at-risk youth in our community with high-quality educational programming that will not only teach valuable STEM skills and lessons, it will also aim to cut down on instances of community violence through essential mentorship and guidance.”
Robinson voted in 2025 for a state budget that increased funding for PCCD’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant program after hearing feedback from constituents across the 37th Senatorial District about the importance of this funding to community programs like TCSL.
PCCD’s VIP Grant program provides funding and technical assistance to address violence in communities across the state. These grants support the growth of new and existing community strategies or programs that aim to respond to violence.
Entities seeking Sen. Robinson’s support for specific state funding needs can use this form to share the details of their request with his office.
CONTACT: Stephanie Applegate