1991: Incident Leads to Community Action

On July 29, 1991, 32 youth were arrested in front of Worcester’s Courthouse for loitering, disturbing the peace, and being a public nuisance. An ethnically diverse group, they were from several different Worcester neighborhoods and surrounding towns. This incident motivated Lynne Simonds, chair of the City Manager’s Youth Council, and Anne Moriarity, Director of Program Development at Plumley Village, to start the process of creating the Worcester Youth Center.
Their weekly meetings, which included Youth Council members, arrested youth and others, eventually led to the creation of the Teen Action Group (TAG). This group succeeded in helping members to realize they were not alone and there was a role for youth in Worcester. They moved beyond complaining to their friends in the street to channel their energy into collective action.

1994: Worcester Youth Center Is Founded

On April 29, 1994, TAG held a press conference announcing two things; one, that they would be
opening a Youth Center; and two that on May 9th they would hold a Youth Summit at the Center. The Summit was structured to give youth a central voice on issues such as youth violence, stereotyping, the media, police relations, employment opportunities, school quality, recreational, and social activities.
Lynne Simonds became the Center’s first executive director. The first location was 508 Main Street in Worcester.

1996: New Director, New Direction

The hiring of Adolfo Arrastia as the Executive Director brought new life and a renewed sense of direction to the Center. Arrastia was 46 years old, Puerto Rican, and had been raised in housing projects in Brooklyn, New York. Involved with a gang as a young person, he later served in the Marines.
He understood where the youth in the Center were coming from, and perhaps more importantly, he had the credibility to guide them into a safer, more peaceful existence. Early in his tenure, the Center moved to 27 Chandler Street.

1997: Our Partners Help Us Build a Stronger Foundation

In October 1997, in conjunction with the YMCA, YWCA and UMass Memorial, the Center developed a Youth Collaborative. Given their success in attracting older teens, the Center served as the hub. Other organizations brought their violence reduction, pregnancy prevention, and career readiness programs to the Collaborative. The Center incorporated them into its governance process by establishing designated board seats for them.

1997:

In the News: The Worcester Youth Center put Worcester on the national map when its production of West Side Story was featured on “60 Minutes” television news program.

1997:

Recipient of one of six national Monroe E. Trout Premier Care Awards as an outstanding grassroots effort to serve at-risk populations.

2001:

Started incubator for youth development activities in Worcester, the HOPE (Healthy Options for Prevention and Education) Coalition, which remains a citywide body of teenagers who identify issues of concerns and recommend solutions.

2002:

Received Health Foundation of Central MA Community Award.

2003:

Implemented Urban Community Action Planning for Teens (UCAPT), a participatory, experiential youth model developed by board president Dr. Laurie Ross, Clark University professor, to engage low-income, urban youth in neighborhood problem-solving and planning.

2003:

Through UCAPT program efforts, Peer Leaders sponsored the Alliance for a Drug-Free Community to raise awareness of illegal activities in a local bar next to the center that was a hotspot for drug and gang activity, as well as prostitution. Partly because of this effort, the city closed the bar in fall of 2003.

2004: Our Own Home

In 2004, the community rallied and contributed $1.9 million to purchase a larger, permanent home for the Center at 326 Chandler Street, next to Worcester’s Beaver Brook Park. The new facility has increased the Center’s capacity to deliver mission-driven programs and provide greater opportunities for youth.

2004:

Youth presented at national conference on youth violence programs at Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) meeting.

2005: Change in Leadership

Denise Calderwood, former police officer, deputy sheriff and Florida youth center founder, succeeded Adolfo Arrastia as executive director.

2005:

Recipient of the “United Way Community Builder” award, designed to recognize outstanding achievement and initiatives to build better communities for the common good.

2007: Period of Transition

Joseph C. O’Brien, Worcester Youth Center board member, community organizer, School Committee member and district director for Congressman James McGovern, served as interim executive director after Calderwood’s departure.

2008: Hilda Ramirez Named Executive Director

Hilda Ramirez became the Worcester Youth Center’s fifth executive director in February 2008. Founder of a Worcester after-school dance and cultural program, with an extensive corporate background and a Masters in Education from Harvard, Ramirez brought her business and academic skills to the position. Together with the board, she undertook a 360-degree evaluation of the Center, its leadership and its activities. During her tenure, the Center broadened its donor base, expanded its community partnerships and offered more structured programming for both younger and older youth populations.

2008: Tropical Storm Hanna Floods Building

Center closed briefly after three feet of water poured into the building during Tropical Storm Hanna in September 2008, damaging carpets, walls and furniture. Renovations created clean, modern, multi- purpose spaces.

2008:

Formalized a relationship with the Worcester Police Department and included in the Shannon Initiative.

2008:

Toxic Use Reduction Initiative encouraged youth to develop safe cleaning products. Peer Leaders in SPIN program (Safe Products in Neighborhoods) generated ideas for cleaning sneakers, polishing jewelry and creating homemade cosmetics, created and sold Spindex non-toxic household cleaning product.

2010:

The United Way awarded $1,000 to the Center to implement business plans created in the micro enterprise program, first of three annual awards.

First YouthReach program began with Worcester Art Museum; youth create art in response to their analysis of community challenges.

2010, 2012:

Successful fundraisers at Hanover Theatre, Mummenschanz and Imperial Acrobats of China performances shared ticket sales with Worcester Youth Center.

2011: WPI Students Present Options For Warehouse

Possible new uses for space in the Worcester Youth Center and warehouse next door were subject of Interactive Qualifying Project for team of WPI students.

Worcester Youth Center members testified on Beacon Hill on drop-out legislation sponsored by State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz that would raise the mandatory school attendance age from 16 to 18 and create graduation coaches for at-risk youth.

Named one of eight youth agencies in Worcester to join Youth Connect, funded by the United Way to coordinate after-school activities and youth development services to improve access and track outcomes for youth across the city.

Forestry training program began with Worcester Tree Initiative. By 2012, 11 youth received six months of urban forestry training and subsidized work experience; three had unsubsidized jobs. Youth reported that planting and watering city trees helped them value their city more.

YouthReach program art exhibit held at Worcester Public Library.

Worcester Youth Center joined the state’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative to work with youth at high risk of reoffending through Bridging the Opportunities Gap (BOG) programming, including “Game for Success” at Becker College.

Began “One Circle” program for girls ages 10 to 14 in collaboration with Latino Education Institute and Plumley Village.

Collaboration with Quinsigamond Community College began with culinary training and certification program, “Cooking up a Career.”

2012: Samuel N. Martin New Executive Director

Named Executive Director in May 2012, Samuel Martin brings extensive experience working with youth in underserved communities. His experience includes direct care and management, in the areas of youth workforce development, community development and public housing services, as well as juvenile justice. An inaugural board member for the Massachusetts Foster Care Alumni Network, Martin earned his bachelor’s degree at Hampton University and his master’s degree at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work.

Culinary training program praised by funder Commonwealth Corporation as state’s most successful — 60 young adults ages 17 to 24 receive food prep training, subsidized work placements, industry certifications and work readiness training. 12 work in non-subsidized jobs.

Also, the Youth Center joined Compass Project to address issues of youth homelessness in coordination with LUK, Inc., WPD, DYS, DCF. The YouthReach collaborative program exhibits art at Sprinkler Factory Gallery

After initial involvement in surveys of homeless youth in 2009-11, Worcester Youth Center joins Compass Project to address issues of youth homelessness in coordination with LUK, Inc., Worcester Police Department, Mass. Department of Youth Services and Mass. Department of Children and Families/

YouthReach program art exhibit held at Sprinkler Factory Gallery.

Record number of youth (166) participate in work readiness activities with progress tracked.

919 youth served, with 385 attending on a regular basis. Attendance for the year was 15,345.

2013: Continued Growth

15 youth from YouthReach collaborative with the Worcester Art Museum program created a mixed-media art exhibit depicting issues of addiction, displayed at the Davis Gallery in Worcester for one month and moved to newly created gallery/lounge space at the Center.

YouthReach participants create mixed-media art exhibit depicting addiction issues, displayed at
Worcester’s Davis Gallery

2014: Celebrating 20 Years

WYC celebrates twenty years of incorporation with a two-day gathering at the Youth Center including board meeting and community cookout the following day. During the event entitled Past, Present and Future time founders of the Center were recognized including several former youth.

2015:

Grant awarded for clean energy/STEM career training initiative from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center in partnership with Quinsigamond Community College, Central Mass Workforce Investment Board

2018:

During this time the Youth Center used its’ own reserves to demolished a three-story building adjacent to the property (the former site of Capital Toys that had fallen into disrepair) with an eye toward improving the safety for the client who attend and improve the neighborhood street view.

2019: New Program Ventures

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts awards several multi-year grants to the Youth Center including the Gun Violence Prevention, Adolescent Sexual Health and Community Substance Abuse funding as well as a host of other private foundations, that were new source to the Youth Center. The Youth Center’s operating budget exceeded more than $1M for the first time in it’s history. Also, renovations of the remaining facility add expanded kitchen and art/ recording spaces to the Center. These renovations were made possible by the generous contributions of the Stoddard Foundation, Fletcher Foundation, Wyman Gordon Foundation

2020: COVID Forces New Zoom Program Delivery

COVID restrictions forced the Center to become creative with program delivery during initial and subsequent COVID shut-downs. Center staff provided Zoom programs for youth during times when the Center could not be open. From that global hardship, the Creative Leadership Institute (CLI) was born. Designed to support leadership development through self-discovery and the arts, CLI has quickly become a favorite program.

2021: Flooding Causes Delay in Regular Programming

Flooding in October, 2021 caused extensive damage to the Center, causing programming to be temporarily moved to partner program sites. While the Center was able to open for programming in February 2022, this disruption delayed a “return to normalcy” that lasted throughout the year. This circumstance was common for many such organizations following the pandemic. The added burden of the flood put additional strain on programming into 2023 although programming continued. The Center staff put extra effort into outreach in the community and expanded community partnerships in an effort to reach youth.

2023:

WYC receives the “Through the Fire” an appreciation award from the Dept of Public Health Office of Sexual Health and Youth Development in recognition of continuing availability of services to youth during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas many programs hut down due to the pandemic WYC was able to sustain. As well WYC received the “VOICES Champion” for going above and beyond with the integration of the VOICES evidence-based curriculum throughout our agency.

2024: Moving Towards Normalcy

In 2024, the Center progressed immensely towards meeting pre-pandemic membership and participation levels. Most of the new members were recruited through word-of-mouth which started in the previous year.