About
History & Mission
Green Works in Kansas City was founded in the Fall of 2007 by Kate Corwin, an IT professional, former business owner, and community leader. Green Works began serving 12 students at one urban high school and has grown to serve more than 200 students a year.
Using outdoor experiences, project-based learning, and STEM career exploration, we achieve our mission to empower Kansas City’s future leaders to care for the environment, contribute to our economy, and create healthy communities.
Cultivating Joy
Click ‘Play’ to watch the video.
Annual Report
for Fiscal Year Ending August 2023
Recent Publicity
Watch KCPT’s segment on our Career Camp
Channel 4 reports on our worksite visit to Olsson Associates
Our feature in The Christian Science Monitor
Our Impact on Kansas City
200+
Students served every year
16,000
Hours of internships funded
All
Excelerate grads better prepared for employment.
Read the Report
100%
Student high school graduation rate
4,000+
Native plants, shrubs, and trees planted in urban KCMO
Our Founder
I grew up outdoors in the Flint Hills of Kansas. I spent my free time exploring streams, catching frogs, hunting for mushrooms and fishing with my uncles. As a child, I dreamed that someday I would have a job protecting nature. But when I met with my college advisor and told him I wanted to major in biology, he steered me towards IT – a growing field where he assured me I would always find a job. Concerned already with student loan debt, I took his advice, graduating with degrees in IT and finance. I immediately found a job in telecom, moving to Kansas City to work for Sprint. During my time at Sprint, I earned an MA in Economics.
10 years into my career, a close college friend died and I changed course. I left Sprint, launched a garden furniture manufacturing company, and set about learning sustainable manufacturing. During this time, I served as president of my urban neighborhood association, led the 43rd and Main TIF Advisory Board, and served on the board of MainCor (Midtown KC Now). I was appointed to several commissions and committees dealing with zoning, public transportation, environmental planning and historic preservation.
Nine years into my manufacturing business, big-box retail stores began importing cheap garden furniture, and I sold my company. For the next two years, I taught college courses and worked for the city of KCMO. Then one day it dawned on me that I could design an organization that would merge my love of nature, with my experiences in sustainable business and community development. I could connect city kids to nature and sustainability, and introduce them to sustainable careers. In the fall of 2007 we launched our first program serving 12 students at one school.
– Kate Corwin, President
For more: Pitch questionnaire
Our Board Chair
While living in Hartford, Connecticut in the early 1990’s, I spent my summers at Camp Courant, an opportunity funded by community members who believed that all youth deserve high-quality summer opportunities. Now 30 years later I am pleased to pay forward their investment in me by leading the board of directors of Green Works in Kansas City.
Green Works provides amazing environmental leadership and enrichment opportunities for youth in our city. COVID served up some major challenges for all nonprofit organizations. Green Works rose to the challenge, adding another location for outdoor nature programs, doubling our classroom space and providing safe, in-person learning for our students.
If you’re a supporter of Green Works, thank you for your support! If you aren’t yet a supporter, I welcome the opportunity to tell you why you should be.
– Calvin Girard, Board Chair
Board
Jensen Adams, Sustainability Manager, City of KCMO 
Scott Bingham, Treasurer, Principal Landscape Architect at BBN Architects, Inc.
Ryan Bresette, Chairman Emeritus, President of Live Like Luke Foundation
Laurie Brown, Secretary, Conservation Ecologist at Vireo
Kate Corwin, President of Green Works in Kansas City
Mark Eisemann, Attorney with Lewis Rice, LLC
Calvin Girard, Board Chair, Director IT Planning and Operations at Evergy
Liam Porter, William Porter Insurance Agency, Inc. – State Farm
Queen Wilkes, Green Works alum, Founder of Forethought Media
“I had the opportunity to facilitate a strategic planning session with the Green Works board and was amazed at the depth of discussion, dedication to the cause, and sense of purpose. This is a high functioning and well-resourced non-profit board.”
– Jason Humphrey, Evergy
Staff and Associates
Kate Corwin, President
Khiara Cox, Intern
Angie Golubovich, Fund Development Director
Alyson Gray, Facilitator
James Griffin, Facilitator
Megan Smith, Program and Marketing Coordinator
Gina Tamasi, Program Director
Roberta Vogel-Leutung, Science Instructor
Queen Wilkes, Instructor
Non-Discrimination
We are committed to providing high-quality educational and workforce opportunities to motivated young people living in the urban neighborhoods served by the Kansas City Public Schools. Within this target population, we will not discriminate based on economic or social status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or physical disability.
“Green Works is one of the most nimble and dynamic nonprofits in Kansas City.” – Ann Z.
