Work Study FAQ's

Yes. Students must be 14-years-old to work for a corporate job sponsor.

Cristo Rey Kansas City has a special provision from the U.S. Department of Labor that allows CRKC to employ children 14 years and older. In the U.S., the standard age for employment is 16. Annually, the Cristo Rey Network renews this special provision for all Cristo Rey schools.

Every student works at least one day per week. With four students sharing one job, the fifth day of the work week is covered by the four-member team on a rotating basis. Every four weeks, all students have worked a total of five days.

Most students perform entry-level clerical work. They answer telephones, maintain files, sort and deliver mail, scan and fax documents, perform data entry, or create documents with Microsoft Office products.

Corporate job sponsors commit to a fee-for-service contract stating that money earned by students goes directly towards the cost of education at Cristo Rey Kansas City.

On their assigned work day, students are transported to and from work by Cristo Rey Kansas City. Each student leaves school with a lunch.

Cristo Rey students are held to strict standards for professional dress. All students are required to wear the school uniform to work. Dress code includes: dress shoes, black slacks, button-down school uniform shirts, neckties, and black sweaters.

Cristo Rey Kansas City requires a longer school day and a longer school year. Each day of the week, a different class goes to work. Instructional time is structured so that no student worker misses class to go to work.

The Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) is an essential component of a Cristo Rey Kansas City education. Students earn credit hours for work study and roughly half of the cost of their own education.

No. CWSP staff consider the skill-level required for the job and the particular interests and skills of the student. The CWSP assigns students to a job site.

There are three responsibilities of the business partner:

1. Provide a positive work environment for the student – give instructions and offer feedback.
2. Assign a supervisor who believes in the program.
3. Identify meaningful work for the student and appraise work regularly.

All new students attend a four-week Summer Training Institute. The institute teaches students a range of workplace skills:  communication on the phone, face-to-face, and by note or memo; use of office machines; file and record maintenance; business ethics and etiquette; and, essential computer skills. Returning students participate in an intensive one-week refresher course at the beginning of the school year.

• Bring diversity to the workplace
• Support the development of the future workforce of the community
• Ensure that hard-to-fill entry-level jobs are staffed
• Turn over tax, payroll, and other personnel expenditures to CWSP

Please contact Ted Koppen, at 816.457-6044 or TKoppen@cristoreykc.org