History

Founded in 2001 when residents of Worcester’s Main South and Piedmont neighborhoods came together around environmental justice concerns, Worcester Roots Project has led the way for youth leadership in environmental, social and economic justice organizing in Worcester.

The organization’s first project was tackling lead-contaminated soil in low-income neighborhoods – an issue not previously given sufficient attention. Offering free soil testing and low-cost soil remediation methods like phytoremediation (using certain plants to pull lead out of the soil), Worcester Roots Project staff and volunteers got their hands dirty making green space safe again for children and families.

In 2005, a group of youth approached Worcester Roots Project with a plan to bring youth organizing and leadership to the soil safety effort. Toxic Soil Busters was born – originally a group of 5 youth which has since grown to 10. Toxic Soil Busters created a year-round youth employment program with a focus on youth empowerment that trains youth as community organizers, lead-safe landscapers and video producers working for environmental justice in our city. The project has been increasingly supported by earned income, creating stable and sustainable youth employment during tough economic times.

In 2008, Worcester Roots helped to unify Green Jobs supporters in Worcester as a lead organizer for the Worcester Green Jobs Coalition.

In 2009, Worcester Roots and Toxic Soil Busters launched Youth In Charge, a youth program tackling community-identified issues in Worcester’s Bell Hill and Lower Lincoln neighborhoods. With offices in Plumley Village, Youth In Charge is a year-round community improvement program led by six youth and inspired by Toxic Soil Busters’ leadership style.

In 2010, Worcester Roots adopted Worcester Energy Barnraisers as a program. The Worcester Energy Barnraisers (WEB) strive to promote environmental sustainability as well as social and economic justice through collaborative home energy efficiency projects. WEB organize “energy barn raisings” which empower and inspire diverse groups of people to take energy conservation into their own hands through various weatherization projects on a building. The volunteers have the opportunity to educate themselves on valuable replicable skills from our team leaders that they can use to gain experience for “green collar” jobs  – while also applying them at home to trim down energy consumption and heating bills. WEB helps to reduce our collective “carbon footprint” as they translate the negative effects of climate change into inclusive community solutions that are accessible to everyone.