- Community Resources
- News & Events
- Subscribe to the WCPC Mailing List
- Welcome
- About
- Projects
- How to Sponsor a Team
- Projects by Sponsor
- Projects by Theme
- Accessibility and Assistive Technology
- Civic Engagement
- Education
- Energy Reduction, Green Energy, and Climate Change
- Environmental Policy
- Food
- Immigrant and Refugee Assistance
- Land-Use Planning
- Marketing
- Miscellaneous
- Museum and Exhibit Design
- Nonprofit Management
- Outdoor Education and Recreation
- Stormwater Management
- Urban Renewal
- Video Production
- Volunteer Recruitment and Management
- Projects by Year
- Summer 2020
- Spring 2020
- African Community Education: Enhancing Alumni Engagement
- Audio Journal: Improving Media Access for Audio Journal’s Print Disabled Listeners
- Old Sturbridge Village: Creation and Distribution of Monetized Online Content for Old Sturbridge Village’s Virtual Village
- Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC): Identifying a Work Plan for Creating a Database and Online Platform for Youth Job Opportunities in Worcester
- Worcester Community Project Center: Celebrating 20 Years
- Worcester Red Sox: Persona Development for the Polar Park Mobile Application
- Summer 2019
- Spring 2019
- Creating a Data Collection Tool for Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester
- Friendly House: Developing Comprehensive Recommendations to Improve Thermal Comfort
- I AM Dress for Success Worcester: A Video Campaign
- Quinsigamond Community College: Providing Recommendations for Project-Based Learning Implementations
- Seven Hills Foundation: Facilitating Effective Communication
- Worcester Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): Marketing Campaign for Stigma Free Worcester
- Winter 2019
- Advertising for Advocates: A Project to Bolster Volunteer Recruitment for CASA Worcester County
- Mechanics Hall: Renovation Revival
- Park Spirit of Worcester, Inc.: Evaluating Environmental Justice and Organizational Partnerships for Green Space in Worcester, MA
- Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary: Establishing Engineering in Elementary Instruction
- Fall 2018
- Summer 2018
- Spring 2018
- Abby’s House: An Effective Waste Management Plan for Abby’s House
- Seven Hills Foundation: Assistive Technology Exposition with Planning Guide & Toolkit
- The Boys & Girls Club of Worcester: Developing a STEAM Strategy for the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester
- Worcester Art Museum – Mobile Website
- Worcester Division Of Public Health: Accentuating Accessible Recreation in the Greater Worcester Community
- Winter 2018
- Fall 2017
- Summer 2017
- Spring 2017
- Northborough Composting: A Peri-Urban Land Conflict
- Revealing Worcester’s Hidden Gem: Promoting the East-West Trail
- Seven Hills Foundation: Improving Efficiency for Community Outing Planning
- Worcester Art Museum: Interactive Media in the Medieval Exhibit
- YMCA of Central Massachusetts: Communication at the YMCA
- Winter 2017
- Fall 2016
- Summer 2016
- Spring 2016
- Habitat for Humanity (HFH): Management of Volunteers and Build Sites Using Technology
- Seven Hills Foundation: Increasing the Accessibility of Assistive Technology
- Worcester Art Museum: Engaging the Visitor with Digital Technology
- YMCA of Central Massachusetts: Helping the Y to Further Integrate Newcomer Populations through Community Engagement & Encouragement
- Winter 2016
- Abby’s House: 40th Anniversary Video
- Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester: Marketing and Recruiting College Student Volunteers
- Seven Hills Foundation: Assistive Technology Intervention Process
- Worcester Art Museum: Family Accessibility
- Worcester Regional Food Hub: Profitability of a Commercial Kitchen
- Fall 2015
- Spring 2015
- Winter 2015
- Blackstone Canal District Alliance: Combined Sewer Overflow in the Blackstone Canal
- Dismas House: Micro-Wind Turbine Feasibility Study
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Weight Estimation Method
- Seven Hills Foundation: Assistive Technology Kit
- Shalom Neighborhood Center: Resource Guide for Immigrants and Refugees
- Worcester Art Museum: Renaissance [remastered] Gallery Evaluation
- Fall 2014
- Spring 2014
- Worcester Earn-A-Bike: Creating an Adaptive Bicycle
- Cost Analysis for Implementing MS4 Permit in Towns of Central Massachusetts
- ReStore Volunteers: A ‘Hand Up’ for the Worcester Community
- Worcester Art Museum: Developing Third Spaces
- Worcester Historical Museum: An Interactive Redesign of the Fuller Gallery
- Fall 2013
- Compliance of Central Massachusetts Municipalities with Stormwater Regulations
- Educational and Interactive Miniature Golf Course for Worcester Historical Museum
- Expanding the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition’s catalog of stormwater Best Management Practices
- Marketing and Fundraising with the African Community Education Program
- Phase II MS4 Permit: Improving Central Massachusetts Stormwater Management
- Worcester Art Museum: Creation of a Green Cafe
- Spring 2013
- Winter 2013
- Fall 2012
- Go Global, Stay Local
- Contact Us

Main IDEA: Assessing the Need for Accessible Youth Arts Programs in Main South
Sponsor | Student Researchers | Goal and Objectives | Executive Summary |
Welcome to our webpage! For our IQP, we worked with the local organization Main IDEA to assess the need for accessible youth arts programming in Main South.
Project Sponsor: Main IDEA
Main IDEA is a nonprofit Youth & Arts organization that offers free arts programming to youth ages 6-17 in Worcester, MA, with a priority given to residents of the Main South neighborhood. with a focus on empowerment and intrinsic motivation. These arts programs include not only visual art, but also music, dance, drama, and creative writing. Beginning as a volunteer project in 2011, Main IDEA has since developed into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2015 and offers afterschool and summer arts programming throughout the year, serving 1,500 youth annually.
Student Researchers
From top left to bottom: Avery Vreeland, Miriam Sayegh, Jeffrey Mei, Achilles Gatsonis, and Nicholas Mills
Project Goal and Objectives
Goal
We assisted Main IDEA by determining the availability of accessible arts programs in Worcester and the impact of COVID-19 on programs to help improve the current state of art programming in Main South and demonstrated why this is an important community needs to fill.
Objectives
- We conducted an audit of accessible youth arts programming in Main South and Worcester.
- We assessed the need for more accessible youth arts programming in Main South and Worcester.
- We assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the accessibility of youth arts programming and the availability of funding for nonprofit organizations to meet this need.
- We made recommendations to Main IDEA on expanding the accessibility of youth arts programming in Main South during and following COVID-19 social distancing measures.