HARRISBURG – Sen. Dan Laughlin (R- 49) announced today the School Safety and Security Committee approved $1.5 million in Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) and Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants for four projects in Erie County.
“Our children are the future of this commonwealth, which is why investing in these projects is so vital,” Laughlin said. “These after-school and violence prevention programs prioritize our children’s education, safety and wellbeing — contributing to setting them up for a successful future.”
The following project was approved for a BOOST grant:
The YMCA of Greater Erie was awarded $493,286 to expand and strengthen its after‑school Teen Center programming for approximately 250 middle and high school youth in the Erie City School District. The project aims to address elevated risk factors identified through the Pennsylvania Youth Survey — such as low school commitment, weak neighborhood attachment and exposure to community stressors — by providing a safe, structured environment during high‑risk after‑school hours.
The following projects were approved for VIP grants:
The United Way of Erie was awarded $49,996 to launch Intro to Sports, a new after‑school recreation and skill‑building program delivered in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Erie to serve approximately 280 elementary students in grades 1-5 across 10 Erie public schools.
The Erie County District Attorney’s Office was awarded $499,700 to continue strengthening two established violence‑reduction initiatives: the multi‑agency Gun Control Working Group and the countywide Lethality Assessment Program for domestic‑violence response.
The Housing Authority of the City of Erie (HACE) was awarded $500,000 to expand the Erie Police Athletic League into a new, dedicated out of school time program site for at-risk youth living in HACE’s affordable and public housing communities. This initiative aims to provide tutoring, mentoring, recreation, team building and character‑development activities for children in grades 3-12, beginning with a pilot of 40 elementary‑aged students and expanding to 80 in year two and 120 in year three.
Administered under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, BOOST and VIP grants aim to support local community violence prevention and intervention strategies and after school/summer programs for at-risk school-age youth.
CONTACT: David Kozak