by Amelia Tieri, Worcester Green Corps Coordinator
The Worcester Green Corps is a program that seeks to bridge the gap between social, economic, and environmental concerns in the city of Worcester through placemaking, employment experience, and action.
As someone who has worked with Green Corps previously and who has since risen in the ranks, I am a testament to the effectiveness of this program’s mission and goals. My every decision as the Green Corps Coordinator is informed by my previous experiences as a District Site Manager. I was welcomed back into the program by familiar faces, and a general bearing of how the program runs both in the field and behind the scenes. This knowledge has been pivotal in my success thus far and I am looking forward to applying these experiences and improving upon them to make each program better than the last.
As a proud employer of the Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC) YouthWorks Summer Session, Green Corps makes every effort to curate a program that is inclusive, fun, and impactful for all who participate. Our program builds practical training experiences, exposure to local careers, and new meaningful friendships all while getting outside and connecting with the city we call home!
This summer, our youth have been soaking up the sun and making Worcester a little cleaner and greener each day! Our crews have gotten their hands dirty and helped us to revitalize two of our pollinator garden beds at University Park as well as clean up various neighborhoods such as the Canal District, Main South, and Vernon Hill! Just two weeks into our fourth summer of action, the Worcester Green Corps has collected 62 bags of trash, weighing 412.2 lbs. total, from Worcester’s streets, parks, and neighborhoods. This year’s cohort of YouthWorkers came into the program passionate, and eager to learn and take action against environmental issues that affect their own communities.
The last couple of weeks, our youth have participated in valuable career pathways sessions about habitat restoration and the waste industry. Each Friday, I am privileged to see how curiosity takes root and grows in the minds of these students. This group of students is engaged and enthusiastic about each topic that is presented, and each hand raised fills the whole room with a contagious sense of excitement about their bright futures. Our program would not be possible without the continued support of United Way of Central Massachusetts. As one of our founding sponsors, the United Way of Central Massachusetts has helped our organization grow from an idea into a reality and, in turn, has given us the ability to impact the lives of thousands of Worcester residents. With the help of our sponsors and community members alike, we hope to continue to expand this program as well as its reach so that we can build a Worcester that is beautiful, clean, and sustainable for generations to come.
Amelia Tieri is the Coordinator for the Worcester Green Corps and a former Green Corps YouthWorks District Manager
