9.7.21 A Summer In Review

On July 6, 2021 the Worcester Green Corps (WGC) was officially launched with a kickoff celebration to formally establish its formation at the city’s iconic Elm Park. That was day one. The WGC is a public/private partnership between the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce (Chamber), the City of Worcester, and the United Way of Central Massachusetts (United Way) to create a sustainable year-round effort to clean and beautify the city.

The WGC partnership includes collaborations with organizations like the Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC), MassHire Central Workforce Board (MassHire), and the Regional Environmental Council (REC). In partnering with WCAC through their YouthWorks Summer Jobs Program, the WGC deployed nearly 20 young people who worked throughout the city during the months of July and August on several cleanups and beautification projects. This effort was supported financially in part by Fallon Health, National Grid, and the Worcester Business Development Corporation (WBDC).

Additionally, each Friday during the six-week program, these young people heard presentations and took tours of businesses and public facilities, such as the city’s water filtration plant, for example. This gave the youth participating in the program the…