Pennsylvania announced the approval of the latest round of Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) and Building Opportunities through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) grants administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). PCCD’s School Safety and Security Committee approved 177 VIP and BOOST projects totaling more than $65 million to reduce gun and community violence and boost after-school programming for at-risk youth across the Commonwealth.
“Thanks to the investments we’ve made over the past three years, we’re seeing real progress in reducing violence and increasing opportunities for young people across Pennsylvania,” said Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, PCCD Chair and Chair of the School Safety and Security Committee.
VIP funds support a wide range of community-based violence prevention and intervention efforts, including street outreach and violence interruption programs, reentry and workforce development programs, victim services, hospital-based violence intervention programs, and more. BOOST grants, first established under VIP in FY 2024-25, focus specifically on increasing access to structured out-of-school time activities that help keep young people safe and engaged, such as mentoring, summer programs, and youth enrichment initiatives.
The School Safety and Security Committee awarded 177 projects, including 148 VIP grants, 28 local BOOST projects, and one statewide BOOST project. Priority consideration was given to projects serving areas with the highest need, including communities with elevated rates of violence and homicides, and projects that will reach the largest number of at-risk youth.
