The Worcester Community Project Center brings together into a more productive synergy two long-term WPI initiatives:
- I) Improving service to the Worcester community through enhancing outreach from WPI faculty, graduates and students, specifically through locally-sponsored interactive projects relating science, technology and society (which is a unique nine-credit-hour reqiurement for graduation for all WPI students)
II) Improving the academic quality of interactive projects performed locally, by adapting best practices developed at distant residential project sites to enrich learning in projects sponsored by local agencies and carried out by students living on campus. The mission of the group is to assist local organizations in addressing and solving policy issues where contributions from WPI's scientifically -oriented students and faculty are especially helpful. Projects have included assisting the City of Worcester in marketing itself, re-developing industrial areas for new uses, implementing a pre-engineering curriculum in the local high schools, and assessing playground safety. Website: http://wp.wpi.edu/wcpc/