PHILADELPHIA — Lt. Gov. Austin Davis joined state and local leaders at the Northeast Frankford Boys & Girls Club to announce 46 grants totaling $11.6 million, under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) program. The Shapiro-Davis Administration is funding these projects to provide structured programming for at-risk school-age youth through local and statewide projects.
“The number one cause of death for young people in America isn’t cancer or car accidents — it’s guns,” said Davis, who serves as chair of PCCD. “When we invest in afterschool programs, we’re being smart about safety, and we’re saving lives. There’s no more important metric, when we talk about getting stuff done, for the good people of Pennsylvania.”
“This dedicated funding — the first of its kind — will make it possible to bring kids off waitlists and into afterschool programs, retain highly-trained professionals, and invest in our collective future,” said Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, co-chair of the House Afterschool Caucus. “No matter what they may face at home or where they live, every student deserves the nurturing environment of an afterschool program. I’m thrilled about this investment in BOOST and can’t wait to advocate for additional funding in years to come.”
“As a community, we’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to give kids a safe place to go after school — where they can grow, learn, and be surrounded by positive influences,” said Sen. Christine Tartaglione. “That’s why this BOOST funding is so important. It’s a comprehensive approach to addressing gun violence, building safer neighborhoods, and ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.”
2024-25 BOOST grant awards
Applicant name | County | Award amount |
Pennsylvania Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs | Statewide | $1,500,000.00 |
Pennsylvania State Alliance of YMCAs | Statewide | $1,500,000.00 |
Allegheny Youth Development | Allegheny | $139,520.00 |
Early Excellence Project | Allegheny | $235,446.00 |
Hopebound Ministries, Inc. DBA MOONCREST NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS | Allegheny | $79,000.00 |
Learning Disabilities Association of Pennsylvania | Allegheny | $60,000.00 |
Melting Pot Ministries | Allegheny | $250,000.00 |
North Hills Affordable Housing dba HEARTH | Allegheny | $250,000.00 |
SLB Radio Productions Inc | Allegheny | $192,410.00 |
Steel City Squash, Inc. | Allegheny | $250,000.00 |
Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania | Allegheny | $208,184.00 |
Youth Opportunities Development | Allegheny | $138,225.00 |
Pittsburgh Area Community Schools | Beaver | $250,000.00 |
Governor Mifflin Education Foundation | Berks | $97,060.00 |
School District of Borough of Morrisville | Bucks | $250,000.00 |
Kid's Innovation Playground | Butler | $13,360.00 |
Forest Hills School District | Cambria | $250,000.00 |
Arts Holding Hands and Hearts Inc (AHHAH) | Chester | $141,000.00 |
Chester County Economic Development Foundation | Chester | $218,135.30 |
Downingtown Community Education Foundation | Chester | $100,000.00 |
The Parkesburg Point Youth Center, Inc | Chester | $250,000.00 |
Keystone SMILES Community Learning Center, Inc. | Clarion | $214,873.00 |
Medard's House (dba The Link 4 Youth) | Cumberland | $250,000.00 |
Harrisburg School District | Dauphin | $250,000.00 |
Chester Education Foundation | Delaware | $250,000.00 |
Erie Police Athletic League (PAL) | Erie | $250,000.00 |
Paul W. Delauter Youth Center | Juniata | $20,000.00 |
Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster | Lancaster | $250,000.00 |
Casa Guadalupe Center | Lehigh | $250,000.00 |
Fine Feather Foundation Inc | Lehigh | $97,074.00 |
Firetree Place | Lycoming | $175,474.00 |
Girls First | Montgomery | $216,920.00 |
Neighbors Helping Neighbors on the Main Line | Montgomery | $130,930.00 |
North Penn Valley Boys & Girls Club | Montgomery | $250,000.00 |
St Anthony Youth Center of Easton, Pa Inc dba Easton Area Community Center | Northampton | $182,206.00 |
ASAP/After School Activities Partnerships | Philadelphia | $250,000.00 |
ESF Dream Camp Foundation | Philadelphia | $250,000.00 |
Girls on the Run Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $150,000.00 |
Highway Mission Tabernacle | Philadelphia | $250,000.00 |
Philadelphia Education Fund | Philadelphia | $250,000.00 |
The Niche Clinic | Philadelphia | $248,000.00 |
Tree House Books | Philadelphia | $125,000.00 |
University City Science Center | Philadelphia | $249,884.00 |
Regional Engagement Center | Snyder | $167,000.00 |
Tioga County Partnership for Community Health | Tioga | $250,000.00 |
“The Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network (PSAYDN) is proud to support the Pennsylvania BOOST program, which plays a crucial role in expanding opportunities for youth across our state,” said Contrell Armor, Director of PSAYDN. “The BOOST program provides essential resources that strengthen out-of-school time programs, ensuring all young people have access to high-quality learning experiences that drive academic achievement, foster social-emotional growth, and build brighter futures. This program is a testament to Pennsylvania’s commitment to equity and excellence for every child.”
Yesterday, PCCD also approved the newest round of awards under PCCD’s Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants and Collaborative Community Violence Intervention (CCVI) Strategies grants. These grants aim to reduce community violence by supporting a wide range of effective, community-led strategies to prevent gun violence and address its impacts – including youth mentoring and intervention, street outreach and violence interruption programs, victim services, neighborhood revitalization efforts, and more.
PCCD’s 2024-25 BOOST, VIP, and CCVI grant solicitations received an overwhelming response with 478 applications submitted requesting more than $174 million — more than three times the current allocation of $56.5 million in funding.
Since the Shapiro-Davis Administration took office in January 2023, the Administration has been laser-focused on reducing the epidemic of gun violence across Pennsylvania. Some of PCCD’s additional initiatives to reduce gun violence include:
- Awarding $85 million in violence intervention and prevention funding for 131 VIP and CCVI strategies grant projects.
- Reestablishing Pennsylvania’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, after Governor Shapiro signed Executive Order 24-02 last September. Since that time, the Office has conducted four listening sessions and gathered insights from more than 800 Pennsylvanians on the impact of gun violence in their communities.
- Securing $4 million in federal Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Grant funds to expand hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) statewide.
Providing over 800 technical assistance sessions to 135 community-based gun violence organizations receiving PCCD grant funding through the PA Peace Alliance.