Being a part of Green Works has jump-started my career as an engineer. I have been a part of Green Works since I was a junior in high school, now I am a freshman in college. In the program I learned the importance of maintaining the environment and I learned new things in that class every day. I also got to be in a commercial for water quality to educate the community on why not to litter. If it wasn't for Green Works I wouldn't have the experience of interning at an engineering firm called HNTB. Through this internship I got to meet influential members of the community Mayor Sly James, State Representative Randy Dunn, and Kansas City Area Transportation Authority CEO Joe Reardon. Being a part of this program is a once in a lifetime chance and if I could go back I would have signed up as a freshman.
My name is Jasmine Herrera and I am currently a senior at Alta Vista high school. I was fortunate enough to hear about Green Works by Charlotte and was instantly interested in the type of career building they helped with. One of my biggest challenges before coming to Green Works was being unsure of what I wanted to do for my career. Charlotte helped guide me by doing personality tests and exercises to figure out what I want to do which is becoming a fire fighter after college. Thanks to Green Works, I can say I really know myself and know what I will do with my life.
My name is Ana Rios. I am a current high school senior at Alta Vista Charter High School. At this point in school is time to start thinking about what we want to pursue. Green Works has been an amazing help that has help me be ready for the journey that is coming ahead. I've always been a shy person and many times is because I think that I am not able to maintain a conversation going because of my English level. However, Green Works has greatly impacted how I see my challenges because I have learn that it's those challenges that help stand out. In Green Works I have learn a lot about public speaking skills that have help me feel more comfortable talking to new people about my goals and challenges.
My name is Roxana and I am a Senior at Alta Vista Charter High School. I'm interested in biochemistry but I never had the confidence to be sure. Green Works while helping develop my professional skills offered me an internship in a college suited to biomedical sciences. This internship will set me into the right path and help me gain the confidence I am lacking.
My name is Sayra Ferman and I am a Senior at Alta Vista Charter High School. This non-profit organization has helped and continues helping me to develop my life skills and to have the opportunity to know more about myself. It has help me to prepare for the future and how to get things done without being so stressed. In this course I've improved in my public speaking skill, a skill that is essential if you want to get a job. Also, this organization not only assist me with my life skills, but also it provides me with opportunities to get a job that assist me with my future career.
My name is Katherine Villalta, I'm a senior at Alta Vista Charter High School and was introduced to this program by Charlotte. My biggest challenge through out high school was public speaking and not knowing what field to pursue after high school. Through out this program, I was guided through the struggles I faced and learned how to speak to the public without nervously moving and shaking.
My name is David and before green works i was trying to find a start to my future career. Being able to be apart of Green Works was a good experience. Before coming to green works my interview skills, resume, and speech was bad, but being in this program it strengthened all those things. What green works did for me was push me towards what career I wanted to do. They introduced me to new people who i now have connections with. Not only did they just teach you but at the end they offered me a internship in the path of my career choice.
I am Alicia Florez and I currently am a senior at Alta Vista Charter High School. Before I had Green Works I really struggled with public speaking and being really passive when speaking to strangers. Everyone in my class at Green Works really pushed me to become more comfortable talking with others by giving me advice on my projection and having confidence in my words. Now, after Green Works I have no problem going in front of a crowd of people and speaking, and I also have no problem starting a conversation with a stranger.
My name is Edith and I'm a senior in High School. I have always been an indecisive person that had no idea what I wanted to do career wise. So when I heard about Green Works I applied immediately because I wanted to find what I was passionate about. The Green Works training helped me narrow down my career interests to Environmental Law. Thanks to Green Works I was able to obtain an environmental law internship.
I am a junior at Northeast High School. I took Excelerate for my very first time this year. Before coming to Excelerate I'd never talked to a group of unknown people. It was a new experience I had here at Excelerate. Charlotte our teacher taught not only me but a few other students how to feel comfortable speaking with people that we don't know. Also because of Green Works i have the opportunity to work in carpentry which is the career I'm looking forward to.
I am Kelsea a sophomore at East High School. I have been involved with the Green Works Program for two years now, ECOS last year and Excelerate and ECOS this year. I never had experience with public speaking or interviewing skills before, I never even had a resume, but now I am great with public speaking and interviewing, and have such a great long resume. At first, honestly I just joined for the checks they give out for coming to the class. But now I come because I really enjoy it! I love learning about the environment what I can personally do to help out. I have learned more about what I put in my body and how to keep a healthy clean environmental safe home. Now because of Green Works, I am about to have my first job and I have so much knowledge about a good healthy lifestyle and have learned how to better care for myself my home my garden and my community. Both of these programs are very helpful and can and will help you in any future career goals that you may have. I will personally recommend these programs to anyone who ask me about them, they are fun and very helpful.
I am a junior at Hogan High school. I run track. I have been involved in Green Works Excelerate for two years. Before Green Works I didn't know how important it was to recycle. I also have never talked to anyone about my career. In ECOS program we did a lot of recycling projects we also went to a landfill, restore habitat. In Excelerate I talked to professionals about what I want to do for my career. Because of Green Works I now recycle, I experienced public speaking, I love learning new things about my environment.
I served as the evaluator of the first year of services by Green Works of Kansas City. The outcomes from this hands-on, experiential learning and workforce development nonprofit agency were highly successful. They ranged from major attitudinal and behavioral changes supporting the environment and quality of life for the teen participants to an average gain of several grade levels in science achievement over that of the control group. We know from research that experiential learning is the most effective way to teach all levels of learners, but we rarely find the systems in place for urban teens to learn science and workforce skills in such enriched learning settings that Green Works creates. What is most important to me is the dedication of founder Kate Corwin and her cadre of staff and volunteers to young people getting onto the ladder of success through quality career education, meaningful science-based learning, hands-on workforce internships and community education. I have become an enthusiastic supporter and donor of Green Works as one of the most worthy nonprofits I can support to benefit underserved teens and to diversify and widen the science careers pipeline in regional Kansas City.
I loved the boat ride on the Missouri River. Thank you for the awesome experience! - Karla
Review from Guidestar
I conducted an evaluation of Green Works (as a volunteer) that used Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping to learn from students how participating in Green Works helps them meet their goals. Students drew maps to show how Green Works programs is leading them to success. They could define their own goals - most were along the lines of going to college or employment - often both. From the students' perspective, Green Works is building their social capital, helping them feel comfortable in work environments, helping them understand how to manage the money they earn through internships, environmental stewardship, and helping them cultivate what they called a service ethic. Green Works makes a big difference in the lives of urban teens and young adults.
With a pecuniary outlook, I read "Green Works" as a sentence. Green is currency... cash. Nothing motivates like the promise of success and, for most of us, success and monetary payment are one and the same. Green Works strives to connect persons too young to have tasted success with a real paycheck for the first time by doing work that is clearly worthwhile after helping them learn why and how it IS worthwhile. And then helping them stay their course. Is that worth supporting? Or what!
I began working with Green Works in 2010 and I really enjoyed every aspect that was covered. From environmental awareness, pollution, to job opportunities and meeting great people to help with furthering career choices, Green Works was a huge help. Not only did I learn so much about preserving the Earth but I was given a mentor with my exact career interest along with summer internshipd. Expanding this program seems ideal because of its great help for teens in the community. Now, at age 21, I still am connected with multiple contacts through Green Works and I love the involvement with such a helpful and educational program. Definitely would recommend others to get into it.
I have two sons who participated in Green Works programming. They learned a lot about the environment and shared what they learned with our family, but also our friends and neighbors. After the solid waste unit they went up and down our street encouraging neighbors to participate in curbside recycling. Now our street is littered with blue bins on trash day! Along with the environmental knowledge they both gained significant confidence and improved their soft skills during their internships. One of my sons is currently in college, and the other is successfully employed. His employer told me that the internship experience was the reason he got an interview. I am so grateful for the life-changing experiences Green Works provided for my sons!
Green Works in Kansas City has changed the lives of many young people as well as their friends and family. And it will continue to have a positive effect on future generations. I have supported this fine organization from its inception and am impressed over and over again by its founder, the students, and the board.
