Ruppersberger Secures $250,000 for New Science Center in Harford County

Press Release

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger today announced $250,000 for a world-class science, technology and heritage center near Aberdeen Proving Ground has advanced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The funding was included in the Defense funding bill for fiscal year 2022, which was passed by the House Appropriations Committee today in a 33 to 23 vote and now heads to the full House for consideration.

Congressman Ruppersberger, an Appropriator, requested the funding for the Discovery Center at Water's Edge located along the Route 40 corridor in Harford County's Belcamp. The project aims to transform a former post office into a 10,000-square foot regional science center for students of all ages. This federal funding will contribute to site preparation and modernization.

"This is an exciting project that puts the ground-breaking scientific exploration happening at Aberdeen Proving Ground at the fingertips of students across Maryland," Congressman Ruppersberger said. "Not only will the Discovery Center help revitalize the Route 40 corridor and spur economic growth across the region, it will get students excited about STEM fields and, hopefully, pursue much-needed STEM careers. I want to thank my fellow Appropriators for including this funding in this bill and encourage my colleagues to support it."

There are almost 20,000 open computing jobs in Maryland and only 4,000 candidates, according to the Maryland Workforce Exchange. Research shows that students who participate in summer and afterschool STEM activities are almost twice as likely to pursue a STEM career than students who do not.

The project is one of nine Community Project Funding Requests submitted by Congressman Ruppersberger in the 12 various appropriations bills for 2022. It is among 2,887 projects submitted by all members of the House of Representatives, only some of which will be approved.

The $706 billion Defense appropriations bill funds agencies and programs in the Department of Defense including the National Security Agency, U.S. Military Academies and military services. The bill also funds intelligence efforts outside of the Pentagon at organizations like the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency. A summary can be found here.

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