Our Story: 2018
In July of 2018, a group of skaters at sharkside DIY started thinking of ways we could do something for the skate community that wasn’t just skating. We started collecting all our old boards and later that summer threw a skate jam at 508 BIKELIFE’s Bloxx Party. By the end of the night we sent 8 kids home with boards who just showed up from the local neighborhood.
That night sparked something in us and in the spring of 2019 we had the opportunity to set up what we called the Worcester Community Skateshop in the back closet of WooRides bike shop. Located right downtown, it was the perfect spot to welcome local skaters in need of a board upgrade. We exchanged walmart boards for used completes, fixed bearings, and frankensteined trucks together ready to roll. What we also did was create a community space. We wanted to engage in all the activities a shop does for the skate scene, but without the overhead and business piece of running a shop.
Summer 2019
In the summer of 2019 we held our first summer skate camp and youth employment program and were buzzing from the momentum. Then Covid hit, and we were faced with the harsh reality that it did not make sense to have a physical space. We continued hosting programs and skate jams when it was safe, and took some time to rethink our model. In the end of 2020 we decided to rebrand as “Push Worcester,” continuing the work we started as WCS, focusing more energy on building out our core programs. Since then we have been hosting youth programs and skate jams, redistributing used boards, and organizing community collaborations supporting our skate community to grow.
Mission & vision
We work to increase access to skateboarding in Worcester and support the skate scene to grow by organizing community projects, programs, and collaborations
We envision a city where everyone has access to the materials necessary to skateboard, with a strong, active, and inclusive skate community.
Core 4:
Organizing focus areas
Youth Leadership
We develop skate based youth programs aimed at providing young people with skate instruction and opportunities for creative expression, mentorship, leadership, community organizing, and employment. We commit to working alongside young people in all we do and aim to support youth to be leaders in our organization and skate community!
Push it Forward: Skate Mutual-aid
We collect donations of used or new skate goods and organize a mutual-aid based network for skaters to access them at no cost, no questions asked! We commit to breaking down the economic barriers to participation and want to see more boards in the hands of more people!
Inclusive Skate Communities
We are committed to pushing Worcester's skate community to be more welcoming and inclusive for traditionally marginalized skaters! We support skaters looking to organize alternative skate spaces and we actively work with our staff and participants to address issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, and other forms of hate and bigotry that arise in our programs.
Skate Friendly Worcester
We cultivate, build, and maintain DIY skate spots, while advocating for more skate-able public space and skate-friendly policy in Worcester. We commit to building partnerships with our friends and comrades riding who ride wheels on the streets of Worcester.
The Goodpush Alliance
Push Worcester is proud to be a member of the Goodpush Alliance and join in on the global effort to share knowledge and resources, and engage in a continuous process of learning and growing, as we work to strengthen communities through skateboarding. Push Worcester thanks the Goodpush Alliance and Pushing Boarders for inspiring and supporting what we do. We have signed the Goodpush’s commitment to anti-racism in skateboarding and encourage anyone looking to learn more about the global movement by skateboarders to promote justice in our skate scenes and broader communities to check them out!
