Level Up Philly recently added a new STEM and computer lab where it teaches at-risk youth coding, AI, and game design skills, among much more, writes Nate File for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The LIFE LAB — which stands for Locate, Identify, Fortify, Exemplify & Leaps, and, Bounds — is fully equipped with modern technology, including 26 computers, 3D printers, gaming consoles, and much more. Around 150 different kids visit the lab each day.

Pastor Aaron Campbell, founder and executive director of Level Up, has wanted to add a STEM lab for several years. His organization has been providing a safe place for local youth to hang out, eat free meals, and receive tutoring, as well as connecting them with other available resources they may need.

During the school year, over a typical week, anywhere between 1,000 and 1,200 kids from 140 different schools visit Level Up. Even though they may be from different neighborhoods and sometimes even from different gangs, there is always unity and peace for them at Level Up.

With the addition of the STEM lab, Campbell believes that the organization can open new opportunities for the city’s most marginalized kids.

Campbell sees STEM as a surefire tool to help at-risk youth stay away from gun culture “because [it] is the wave of the future,” he said.

Read more about Level Up Philly in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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