The lead organization in Worcester was the EcoTarium, a unique indoor-outdoor museum, whose mission is to “contribute to a better world by inspiring a passion for science and nature through discovery”.
The current president, Joe Cox, notes that “the EcoTarium has been inspiring a passion for science and nature for almost 200 years.” The private, non-profit institution was founded in 1825 as the Worcester Lyceum of Natural History and was incorporated in 1884 as the Worcester Natural History Society, eventually becoming the New England Science Center, and then the EcoTarium.
Throughout its history, the EcoTarium has had a consistent mission: to foster discovery in nature and science. Today the museum features permanent and traveling exhibits, the Alden Planetarium, a narrow-gauge train pulled by a scale model of an 1860s steam engine, a tree canopy walkway, and a variety of wildlife, nature trails, and educational programs.
Worcester itself has evolved from an industrial hub in the 19th century to a community focused on education and healthcare. There are 13 colleges in Worcester and the UMass Medical School. The arts are active as well, with a world-class arts museum and 60+ arts organizations involved in the Worcester Cultural Coalition, cultivating the arts in the community and arts-related economic development. The Coalition won a 2009 Commonwealth Award as a “creative economy catalyst” in 1998. 
The EcoTarium has also been recognized as a place where the arts and sciences come together. “Throughout our history we have recognized the importance of the connection between art and science – a role that resulted in the EcoTarium recently receiving the Massachusetts Cultural Council/s 2013 Commonwealth Award for Art / Science Collaboration”, Cox points out.
“The EcoTarium is excited to be one of three sites on this National Science Foundation grant that adds Art to the STEM mix. We’ll be exploring how to spark creativity in science education and develop an innovative 21st century STEM workforce that is truly pioneering and original, as well as skilled in science and math. Serving as an incubator for innovation, helping community members apply creative learning practices to a real-world problem facing the City of Worcester, is core to our mission.”
