Bringing Kansas City Kids Back to Nature
About Us
Green Works in Kansas City empowers future leaders through outdoor experiences, project-based learning, and STEM career exploration.
Our Mission
Empowering Kansas City Kids Through Nature
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 advance our mission to empower Kansas City’s future leaders to care for the environment, create healthy communities, and contribute to our economy.
Our Impact in Kansas City
200+
Students served every year
165
hours of free nature programming every year
15
tangible skills introduced (like kayaking, tying knots, and using binoculars)
16,000
hours of internships funded
4,000+
Native plants, shrubs, and trees planted in urban KCMO
See Our Impact in Action
Click ‘Play’ to watch this short, 2-minute video and learn more about Green Works and why we are passionate about helping city kids experience nature!
Video: Cultivating Joy - Green Works in KC
Watch: KCPT’s segment on our Career Camp
Ch. 5 Report: our letter writing campaign
Ch. 4 report: our worksite visit to Olsson Associates
Feature: The Christian Science Monitor
Feature: HerLife Kansas City magazine
Green Works In Kansas City
Impact Report
2023/2024
“Green Works programming combats the damaging effects of the current screen-based childhood experienced by too many kids in Kansas City. Our outdoor exploration develops environmental responsibility, encourages teamwork and communication, and our kids learn many new skills….”
Meet Our Team
Queen Wilkes
Community Outreach Facilitator
Queen Wilkes is a Kansas City native, alumni of Green Works, and currently serves on the board of our organization and as our Community Outreach Facilitator.
She studied strategic communication at the University of Denver and has utilized her skills in community organizing to support nonprofits like the Blue River Watershed Coalition, the Heartland Conservation Alliance, the KC STEM Alliance, the Sunrise Movement and others.
Queen is passionate about promoting access to nature-based education to youth and often supports our ECOS program as an instructor or facilitator. Outside of Green Works, Queen works as a self-employed actor and is a part-time student.
Calvin Girard
Board Chair
Growing up in Hartford, Connecticut, I spent my summers at Camp Courant, an opportunity funded by community members who believed that all youth deserve high-quality summer opportunities. Now I am pleased to pay forward their investment in me by leading the board.
Green Works provides amazing opportunities for youth in our city. COVID created challenges, but we met the challenges, developing new programs and right sizing our space.
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.
Staff and Associates
Kate Corwin, President
Khiara Cox, Facilitator
Angie Golubovich, Fund Development Director
Isaiah Francises, Facilitator
James Griffin, Science Instructor
Alyssia Roennengart, Facilitator
Megan Smith, Program & Marketing Coordinator
Gina Tamasi, Program Director
Roberta Vogel-Leutung, Science Instructor
Queen Wilkes, Community Outreach
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
Sara Lamb, Director of Marketing, Digital and Content at BlueScope
Liam Porter, William Porter Agency, Inc. – State Farm
Queen Wilkes, Green Works alum
Follow Us @GreenWorksKC
Non-Discrimination Policy
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.
