Bringing kansas city kids back to nature
Our Impact
Through hands-on learning and outdoor experiences, we’re making a lasting impact—empowering KC youth to care for the environment, build confidence, and shape a brighter future.
Our Current Results
Making a Measurable Impact in KC
We currently serve 200+ city kids each year in nature discovery and career exploration programming. Our students are making new friends, learning new skills, improving their physical and mental health, exploring growing green careers and having lots of fun!
Review our latest program evaluations and informal surveys below:
Historical Results
Our Journey: A Legacy of Impact
Prior to Covid-19, we offered Sustainability and Workforce Readiness programming for high school juniors and seniors. We are proud of the hundreds of young leaders we worked with, the 16,000 hours of internships we funded, and the innovative retail store we created. Read more about these programs below.
In addition to participating in the programs, our high school students, staff and volunteers took part in a number of environmental community projects in Kansas City. These included planting projects (adding 4,000 native plants, shrubs and trees in urban KCMO), community education, video PSAs and art projects.
Excelerate Workforce Leadership
Excelerate was a year-long after school program where students learned and practiced skills including problem solving and communication. They researched careers, created career plans, wrote a resume and developed a LinkedIn profile. They participated in practice interviews and job site visits, and every lesson included sustainability at home and the workplace. Students who completed Excelerate were eligible for paid summer work experiences described below.
All Excerlerate graduates were better prepared for employment, and 100% graduated from high school. Read more in our formal Excelerate program evaluations below:
Summer Work Experience
Students who completed all Excelerate components earned a paid summer work experience aligned with their career goals. Green Works staff arranged the work opportunities and Green Works covered the cost of the student stipends. Over 13 years we funded more than 16,000 hours of paid work experience for our students.
The Perennial Bee Retail Store
From 2020 – 2024, we involved students and young adult interns in our social enterprise retail store, The Perennial Bee. The young adults manufactured sustainable products, selected and managed inventory, fulfilled online orders, waited on customers, created window displays and assisted with marketing and signage design. Through this unique opportunity, we provided these young adults with firsthand experience running a small business in a sustainable way while introducing community members to more sustainable choices.
“I appreciate that the interns are actively involved in all the decisions for the store. And I love the fact that everything we do is guided by our overarching concern for the environment. I hope to have my own business someday and I have learned so much that will help me!” – Intern
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.
