Annual Report of Green Works in Kansas City Kansas City, MO www.greenworkskc.org In keeping with our green values, we do not print an annual report, but simply offer it on-line. If you have any questions about this report, or would like additional information, please call Kate Corwin at 816-304-8400. Green Works Annual Report Mission & Key Principles Mission Our mission is Environmental Education and Workforce Development for Urban Youth. We educate urban high school students about the environment, involve them in service projects that improve their community, prepare them for post-secondary education and the workforce and connect them to opportunities in the growing green economy. Key Principles • We are committed to urban youth living in underserved neighborhoods. • Our model emphasizes making a significant, lasting impact on fewer students. • Our programming is holistic and incorporates national best practices for youth programming. • We uphold our environmental values, leveraging resources from a large number of partners. September 2012 - August 2013 Students compare speed, temperature and smoke when burning fossil fuels and bio fuels. We all enjoyed the opportunity to dress up and celebrate! On October 11, 2012 more than 125 students, volunteers and supporters of Green Works came together for a celebration of our 5 year anniversary. Hosted by KCP&L and President Terry Bassham at the KCP&L Energy Center, attendees enjoyed appetizers, a specialty cocktail from Justus Drugstore, songs by Eco Elvis and the debut of a video on our history and success so far. We raised nearly $35,000 for our programming, made some new friends and had a wonderful time! 5 Year Anniversary
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Annua l Repor t o f Green Works in Kansas C i ty Kansas C i ty, MOwww.greenworkskc .o rg
In keeping with our green values, we do not print an annual report, but simply offer it on-line. If you have any questions about this report, or would like additional information, please call Kate Corwin at 816-304-8400.
Green WorksAnnual Report
Mission & Key Principles MissionOur mission is Environmental Education and Workforce Development for Urban Youth.
We educate urban high school students about the environment, involve them in service projects that improve their community, prepare them for post-secondary education and the workforce and connect them to opportunities in the growing green economy.
Key Principles
• We are committed to urban youth living in underserved neighborhoods. • Our model emphasizes making a significant, lasting impact on fewer students. • Our programming is holistic and incorporates national best practices for youth programming.
• We uphold our environmental values, leveraging resources from a large number of partners.
September 2012 - August 2013
Students compare speed, temperature and smoke when burning fossil fuels and bio fuels.
We all enjoyed the opportunity to dress up and celebrate!
On October 11, 2012 more than 125 students, volunteers and supporters of Green Works came together for a celebration of our 5 year anniversary.
Hosted by KCP&L and President Terry Bassham at the KCP&L Energy Center, attendees enjoyed appetizers, a specialty cocktail from Justus Drugstore, songs by Eco Elvis and the debut of a video on our history and success so far. We raised nearly $35,000 for our programming, made some new friends and had a wonderful time!
5 Year Anniversary
Board Members
Our ProgramsEnvironmental Education and workforce development for urban teens.
ECOSOur core program ECOS (Environmental Connection Opportunities for Students), is a year-long after school program involving classroom science labs, hands-on projects, guest speakers, science journals, field trips and service learning projects. The curriculum focuses on Kansas City’s most pressing environmental problems including our combined sewer system, solid waste disposal, declining urban forest, and deteriorating air quality. Highlights of the ECOS program this year were the always popular Missouri river ride, creating aquifer models, visiting Posty Cards LEED manufacturing facility and studying alternative fuels including modeling hydropower.
Girls Lead This year we started a new summer program called Girls Lead for young women who have completed ECOS. Our girls worked with our partners at Mid-America Regional Council, and 106 Greenway to develop an environmental audit of Newhouse shelter. The girls gained business experience and practical work skills in a fun learning environment and we helped Newhouse save money on energy bills and disposables. Our pilot Girls Lead program was funded by a grant from the American Association of University Women – Wagy Fund.
Green InkGreen Ink is the name chosen by our alumni to reflect their goal of leaving a green impression on their community. With coordination from the Green Works staff our alumni participated in the Blue River cleanup, helped with the KC
litter index, attended a transportation planning meeting, worked on the oxbow project and on a community education program called WaterWorks!. (Read more on the oxbow and WaterWorks! - page 3).
Summer Internships We raised money to place fourteen of our older students into paid summer internships. One of our students who plans to be a medical researcher worked at the EPA water lab in Kansas City, KS. Other placements included Habitat Restore, The Discovery Center, Lakeside Nature Center and Vireo Landscape Design. Money Management During the cold months of January and February our students took part in an eight-week money management class. Our students learned the process of budgeting, how payday loan establishments operate, the difference between credit and debit cards and the true cost of owning a car. We held the sessions at UMKC, giving our students an opportunity to experience a college campus.
Amy (right) is pictured with Mary Silwance, who runs our Green Ink alumni program.
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Ryan Bresette CPA, Assistant Controller at Kansas City Power & Light Tim Burkhalter, Project Manager at Burns & McDonnell EngineeringAmy Coopman, Employment law attorney at Foland, Wickens, Eisfelder, Roper & Hofer, PCKate Corwin, President at Green Works in Kansas City TJ Dixon, Continuous Improvement Specialist NT at Harley-Davidson Motor CompanyRachel T. Norton, Business Development and Marketing Manager for Malone Finkle Eckhardt & Collins, Inc.Rusty Smith, Vice President/Portfolio Manager at Trademark Merchant Energy
Board member TJ Dixon had a great time teaching rain barrel construction at Blue Hills.
Summer intern Paige helped the Missouri Department of Conservation re-introduce a native prairie beetle.
Year 6 FundersTogetherGreen/National Audubon SocietyThe M.R. and Evelyn Hudson FoundationEnergyWorksKC/Bridging the GapUnited Way of GKCHarley-Davidson FoundationThe Sosland FoundationShumaker Family FoundationKCP&LPricewaterhouseCoopers LLPMid-America Regional Council (MARC)American Association of University Women (AAUW)Burns & McDonnellSprint NextelR.A. Long FoundationBlueScope Foundation (formerly Butler Foundation)Capitol Federal FoundationCommerce BankHDRJE Dunn ConstructionKPMG LLPSNR DentonVireoFriends of the River
Listed in order of contribution.
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About Your Donations
Program Outcomes
Habitat Restoration on Brush Creek
This year our alumni and volunteers continued work on our oxbow project on Brush Creek. With $50,000 funding from the largest Toyota and Audubon TogetherGreen Innovation Grant we restored the function of the oxbow, planted more trees and installed signage and bird
and bat houses. The city completed the trail extension and now bikers and walkers are enjoying this beautiful, more natural area of Brush Creek. This grant will fund some construction projects including cleaning sediment out of the creek and repairing a stormwater channel.
Volunteers and students installed bat houses at the oxbow on Brush Creek.
WaterWorks!Our alumni completed a water conservation initiative project called WaterWorks! with Bridging the Gap and funding from EnergyWorksKC. Our students co-hosted nine community events, presenting 5 Blue Things and Our Water is in Jeopardy, a game that the students developed and fabricated. At the events our students helped distribute over 200 water saving kits and copies of our native plant book. With our board members and volunteers they helped community members build 25 rain barrels and plant two rain gardens including hosting a rain barrel workshop and rain garden planting for the Blue Hills Neighborhood Association.
As our students advance towards high school graduation and into post-secondary education and the workplace, our role is to help them grow into independent, resilient, and accountable adults who are actively engaged in our community. We measure our success through the following outcomes: 1. Increase in science literacy2. Changed behaviors towards the environment3. Improvement of life skills including financial literacy4. Hours of work experience through paid summer internships5. Increase in social capital connections.
Students planted a rain garden for the Blue Hills Neighborhood Association.
History and Contact
Green Works in Kansas City was founded by Kate Corwin, an IT professional, former business owner and community leader. Green Works was incorporated in the state of Missouri in February of 2007 and recognized as a nonprofit corporation under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code in September 2007.
How You Can HelpThere are many ways to help Green Works. One way is through a monetary contribution. Your contribution is tax deductible, and many companies match employee donations. If your company participates in the United Way campaign, you can designate Green Works for all or part of your gift. Our EIN is 32-0195433.
Aside from direct contributions, we use some volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Kate to be included on our volunteer list. ([email protected])
If you are a current volunteer, please write a review of Green Works on Guide Star, www.guidestar.org. Many funders use Guide Star to research nonprofits.
If you are logging on to social media, you can connect with us on Facebook and help promote Green Works. You can also sign up for our newsletter on our website (www.greenworkskc.org) and forward the newsletter to your contacts who are interested in youth development and environmental education.
Students in all our programs conduct water quality testing.
Our alumni share their knowledge at events in their community.
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Looking Ahead to Year SevenYear seven will mark the launch of a new program called Green Future. Green Future is a second year program to help prepare high school students for post-secondary education and the workforce and will be available to students who have completed ECOS. Students will take part in skills and interest evaluations, research three growing careers, prepare a resume, take part in job shadowing, participate in money management training, and learn time management, leadership, teamwork, and organization skills.
The ride on on the Missouri River is always a favorite ECOS activity.
