Main IDEA formed when a group of artists, musicians, and dancers who shared a common dream of seeing an arts community that was open and accessible to everyone came together in the neighborhood of Main South, Worcester, Massachusetts. In the summer of 2011 forty kids took part in dance, visual art, music, and creative drama workshops where they had the opportunity to express themselves in a fun, safe, and supportive environment using some of the fundamental techniques, processes, and elements of these art forms. The week culminated with a showcase where our kids shared their artwork with family, friends, and community members.

In the first year Main IDEA launched, we nearly tripled the number of students we had after the very first day, simply from word-of-mouth. With such a strong, positive response from the community, what began as a volunteer project to meet a need, soon became a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2015. Since that time, Main IDEA has expanded to multiple programs year-round for youth and teens ages 6-17, empowering over 300 youth every year!