Citizen Science Lab brings hands-on STEM to Pittsburgh's Hill District

A year since its groundbreaking, the Citizen Science Lab, a state-of-the-art science and technology center in Pittsburgh's Hill District, opened its doors on Friday with a snip of a ceremonial ribbon by its founder, Dr. Andre Samuel. 

"I feel great," Samuel said. "Because the power of promise is nothing if you don't deliver. You've got to deliver."

The facility is Samuel's dream. Its mission: finally give the children of the Hill District community a place to expand their STEM horizons further. The Citizen Science Lab already has a facility in the South Hills. 

"The talent pool is phenomenal," Samuel said. "We've had students that have done amazing things over the years. We've had students that have developed microbial fuel cells to be a genetically engineered bacteria powered battery. We have a robotics program that we've been doing for almost eight years now, and we have students that come back every year until they graduate from high school."

The lab was paid for by fundraising and grants from various groups. Samuel says every time a student walks in, they're reminded of the legacy of great Black scientific and technological pioneers — historic men and women too often not recognized. Each of the facilities, labs and classrooms bears the name of those who helped blaze the trail in STEM.

Four-year-old Amari Abney and his big brother Aerius were at Friday's ribbon-cutting. Amari dressed as an astronaut for Halloween last year and his 6-year-old big brother Aerius was a scientist. Amari tells KDKA he wants to pilot a spacecraft someday, and Aerius says he wants to become a scientist so he can make sure his little brother's voyage to the stars is safe and he gets back home safe.

For more information on the Citizen Science Lab and how to enroll in its classes and science summer camps, click here.