Key Leader News

Key Leader Mid-Spring Update

ajames — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:57:35 GMT

What has Key Leader been up to in 2012?

There have been eleven Key Leader weekends so far, with another seven before the end of June.
586 Key Leader participants and student facilitators have graduated the program, taking with them lifelong friendships and life-changing experiences.
Over 130 dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly to make the experience possible for so many emerging leaders.

Don't forget to register now for an upcoming weekend!

Builders Club Mother’s Day cards on sale now

ajames — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:42:24 GMT

Builders Club has created unique Mother’s Day cards, which are now available for sale at the Kiwanis family store. Put the fun in fundraising and raise money and awareness for The Eliminate Project!

The Mother's Day cards come in a package of 10 cards, 10 envelopes and an instruction card on how to submit your proceeds to The Eliminate Project. They can be purchased online at the Kiwanis family store for US$2.10 per set through April 17. Organize an event specifically for Mother’s Day to sell the cards and spread awareness (e.g., an auction, baby shower, bake sale, concession stand, cook-off, ice cream social, lemonade stand, pancake breakfast, race, raffle, etc.). Your ideas have no boundaries.

Help Builders Club reach its goal of selling all 1,000 cards. Order your cards today!

Let the excitement begin at a Key Leader weekend near you

ajames — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:30:52 GMT

Leadership development. Life-changing experiences. Lifetime friends. This is what Key Leader is all about. Can’t wait to sign up? You don’t have to! From the east coast to the west coast and many places in between, Key Leader events are set and open for registration. With nearly 50 events planned throughout North America for 2012, you’re sure to find one that catches your eye.

Key Leader is a weekend experiential leadership program for young leaders. Learn leadership skills that will help you change your school, community, and world for the better. Bonus: you’ll make spectacular memories and amazing friends. Don’t believe us? Hear what Key Leader alums have to say about their experience.

Since April 2005 Key Leader has served more than 16,400 students at 317 Key Leader events in 39 U.S. states, 5 Canadian provinces, Malaysia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, El Salvador and Singapore.

Join the fun! Visit www.key-leader.org/registration to search for a Key Leader weekend near you.

Life-changing Kiwanis Key Leader events continue throughout the world in 2011

ajames — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:07:29 GMT

With the successful conclusion of the 2011 program year, Kiwanis Key Leader has served 16,369 students in 316 leadership conferences. Since 2005, events have been held in 39 US states, 5 Canadian provinces, Malaysia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, El Salvador, and Singapore. In 2011, Key Leader program sites were added or reintroduced in California, Nevada, Virginia, Florida (US), and Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Prince Edward Island (Canada).

The Key Leader program has also been introduced to groups from China, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and Iceland, as well as the YMCA World Camp. Students from all over the world are being called to Servant Leadership and to live out the principles of Integrity, Growth, Respect, Community and Excellence. At the most recent event in Malaysia, students from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) attended from their refugee centers within Malaysia. What an exciting Kiwanis outreach!!!!

Students from this year’s events have told us about Kiwanis Key Leader:

“Everyone shared a common interest and it was to better ourselves and the communities we live in….I loved getting to meet so many new people and that I was always kept engaged in the presentations….I loved everything about the weekend. I felt like I learned so much about myself and others….I’m going home with so many ideas on how to improve myself….Super fun and great learning….I met tons of new friends….Getting to know new people, learning about leadership and the sense of community….I learned how to become a better leader within my community and Key Club….I like how the Lead Facilitator is interactive with the participants and how the activities were fun….I met new people and realized things about myself that I hadn’t before….KEY LEADER IS AWESOME!!!”

World Leadership Survey for Students

ajames — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:22:13 GMT

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) is conducting a survey to find out about students' views on workplace issues. If you're a student, please take 20 minutes and fill out this online survey. If you're an adult who works with students, encourage them to fill it out. The more of you who respond, the better their results will be! The following is a description of the survey from CCL:

How do you want work to be? What do you think should be important to leaders? What do you think you need to know to succeed in your first after-college job? The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) is currently conducting a groundbreaking World Leadership Survey for Students.

We believe that students and the organizations they want to work for will be more successful if each has an accurate and up-to-date picture of students' views on important workplace issues. To create this picture, we need to hear from you about your personal experiences and your views of the workplace.

The survey takes about 20 minutes, can be taken online at:

https://feedback.clearpicture.com/ccl_studentsurvey/

As a thank you, CCL is giving each respondent a choice of one of two free CCL Guidebooks (Learning from Life or Do You Need a Team?), available for download immediately after submitting the survey.

Information provided by respondents is confidential, and you will receive reports on the results of the survey if you choose to include your e-mail address at the beginning of the survey.

The survey takes about 20 minutes and can be taken online at: https://feedback.clearpicture.com/ccl_studentsurvey/

As a thank you, CCL is giving each respondent a choice of one of two free CCL Guidebooks (Learning from Life or Do You Need a Team?), available for download immediately after submitting the survey.

Information provided by respondents is confidential, and you will receive reports on the results of the survey if you choose to include your e-mail address at the beginning of the survey.

Random Acts of Kindness Video Contest

ajames — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:03:57 GMT

Do you have an inspirational story to tell about an individual or group doing good deeds in your kind community? To celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week in February 2012, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation will produce three videos featuring real-life random acts of kindness by everyday people.

Read more about the contest and enter your story on the Random Acts of Kindness website. Deadline for submissions is Dec. 31.

2012 Key Leader Dates

ajames — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:33:52 GMT

A list of Key Leader weekends for 2012 is posted! This list is not final, so keep checking back as we continue to confirm more dates and locations.

Registration for 2012 weekends will open in mid-January. Be sure to save the date for a weekend near you, and bring a friend! Don't forget that if you have been to Key Leader before and are in 11th or 12th grade, you are eligible to apply to be a student facilitator. It is also a good idea to begin contacting your local Kiwanis club now to ensure that they remember to budget money for Key Leader registrations.

Make A Difference Day - October 22

ajames — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:44:41 GMT

For 20 years, USA WEEKEND and HandsOn Network, a business unit of Points of Light, have joined together to sponsor Make A Difference Day, the largest national day of community service. Held annually on the fourth Saturday in October, Make A Difference Day is a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.

Make A Difference Day is sponsored by USA WEEKEND Magazine in partnership with HandsOn Network and supported by Newman’s Own. Oct. 22, 2011 marks the 21st anniversary of this day of service!

Millions of Americans unite in a common mission to improve the lives of others on Make A Difference Day. To learn more visit their website: http://daytabank.handsonnetwork.org/.

Just What Is Key Leader?

ajames — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:54:50 GMT

Wow! Check out Kiwanian and Key Leader chaperone Alan Arbuckle's first hand account of Key Leader at Mountain Chalet Aspen in Colorado, October 7-9.

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Immediate Past-Gov. Bert says it was THE one experience that really stood-out from his year traveling around the Rocky Mountain District. Governor Bob learned the value of Key Leader this past weekend, though he struggled to make those midnight room checks.

Key Leader is a weekend that teaches high schoolers leadership skills and team building. But to just leave it at that is really not an adequate description. Key Leader is an experience that won’t soon be forgotten by those young people. Workshops taught 5 principles of leadership: Integrity, Growth, Respect, Community, and Excellence. Hands-on workshops gave the student participants the experience of building a team through communication and trust.

Student facilitators (who had taken the course before) were team leaders who not only built their team but also demonstrated Key Leader skills by example.

All of this happens in an atmosphere of mutual respect, personal growth and honesty. Sprinkled with spontaneous outbursts of dance and singing. Smiles… so many happy smiles.

Key Leaders learn who they are by challenging their values, and working through physical challenges (like the spider rope pictured here) that got them out of their comfort zone. Teaching the young leaders how to communicate with others that might not share their personality type and to trust their new friends. Exercises that made them think, work together to achieve a group goal, discover who they are… who they want to be. GROW.

If your Kiwanis club isn’t sending kids to Key Leader, you really should volunteer or at least spend part of day at Key Leader. It is a great program.

To learn more about events in your area visit www.key-leader.org/registration and contact the local Key Leader chair listed there. To learn more about sponsoring a student, visit www.key-leader.org/sponsor.

E-Waste Drive Campaign Scholarship

ajames — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:01:24 GMT

Looking for a way to help your environment and win a grant or scholarship? Do Something is partnering up with Best Buy and ENERGY STAR to run an E-Waste Drive campaign. Collect e-waste, deliver it to your local Best Buy store, and fill out a report back form. DoSomething.org will be giving out $10,000 to the winning team to be used as an educational scholarship or project grant. Never fear! We'll make sure to split the money evenly among all your team members. Run an e-waste drive and fill out a report back form by October 1: http://www.dosomething.org/ewaste

Empower young leaders through Key Leader

ajames — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:46:10 GMT

Give young emerging leaders a push in the right direction. Give them the experience of a Key Leader weekend. Registration is open for nearly 30 Key Leader weekends this fall, and many are filling up fast.

Key Leader can be life-changing for young adults. Participants learn about service leadership, while learning confidence in their own leadership abilities. Kiwanis members help make that happen:

Encourage high school students in your community to attend a weekend retreat this fall
Have your club sponsor a student
Volunteer at a facility near you

We are offering nearly 30 Key Leader retreats this fall. Find a date and location that works for you!

March 2 Success

ajames — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:47:04 GMT

Key Leader is one of many tools that can help you prepare for a successful future. There are other opportunities that can help you achieve your goals as well. One is the March 2 Success program offering free online SAT/ACT preparation flashcards and practice tests. Additionally, there is a program to help 6th through 12th graders boost standardized test scores and prepare for high school. For those planning on going to college, there are resources for learning about the college application process and financial aid. Teachers, parents and school counselors can create an account and monitor student progress as well. Take a look at these brochures to learn more, or visit www.march2success.com. March 2 Success is offered for free, with no obligation to all students by the U.S. Army.

Exciting New Sponsorship for Kiwanis Key Leader

ajames — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:13:33 GMT

We are delighted to announce that on Wednesday, April 20, 2011, Kiwanis International and the U.S. Army signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Fort Knox, Kentucky which established an on-going sponsorship between Kiwanis International, Key Club International and the U.S. Army. This new sponsorship is based on the shared values of the organizations and their joint commitment towards developing the academic and leadership potential of young people.

The organizations will disseminate information with their staff and volunteer leadership teams so that more students can learn about opportunities for enriched educational experiences. The U.S. Army has committed to be an annual 4-start sponsor of the Kiwanis Key Leader program. New resources will be available to support this excellent service leadership weekend program for high school students. As a result of the agreement, Kiwanis students will receive information on the U.S. Army's "March 2 Success" program, which provides free ACT and SAT preparation courses for high school students. Overall, there are many resources available through the U.S. Army that can be used by youth to improve their academic performance and college readiness.

At the signing, Stan Soderstrom, executive director of Kiwanis International, indicated that the two organizations have so many values and goals in common that the new sponsorship is very logical for both. "We all look forward to a better world through these efforts to prepare youth leaders of today for the challenges of tomorrow."

Happy Birthday, Larry!

ajames — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:20:53 GMT

It's that time again to remember Larry, the Collector of Bedford Street, on his birthday! In April Larry will be 69 years old. He has lived in the village for 40 years.

Wish Larry a Happy Birthday by sending him a card or a donation. Donations can be designated to contribute to Larry's living fund which needs to be replenished, or to Larry's charity of choice. You can send cards and donations to Larry Selman, c/o Alice Elliot, 107 Bedford Street, Upper One, New York, NY 10014. Please make checks payable to BBC (the Block Association that manages Larry's living fund).

It's that time again to remember Larry - The Collector of Bedford Street on his birthday. In April Larry will be 69 years old and has lived in the Village for 40 years.

Wish Larry a Happy Birthday by sending him a card or a donation. Donations can be designated to contribute to Larry's living fund which needs to be replenished, or to Larry's charity of choice. You can send cards and donations to Larry Selman, c/o Alice Elliot, 107 Bedford Street, Upper One, New York, NY 10014. Please make checks payable to BBC, (the Block Association that manages Larry's living fund).

Calling Key Club and Circle K International Alumni!

ajames — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:03:50 GMT

Class reunions and social media help you stay close to high school and college friends when you go your separate ways. But what about pals from Key Club and Circle K International and all those projects you sweat over together? Graduation doesn’t mean an end to serving.

With the Key Club and CKI Alumni Associations, you have a great way to stay engaged. It’s easy to join, and it’s free. Just go to the alumni association website and begin to reconnect. Let folks know what you’ve been up to, and see what’s been happening since you left. If you have a story about how your Key Club or Circle K International experience let you to work with Key Leader, please share your story.

Of course, you can help spread the word too. If you know any alumni, send them this link and encourage them to sign up today: www.kiwanis.org/alumni.

Want to learn more about the all-new alumni associations? Join Kiwanis for the following free webinars:

February 17: CKI Alumni Association: The Place to Belong after Graduation

March 24: Key Club International Alumni: The Place to Belong after Graduation

April 21: Alumni Associations 101: Growing the Kiwanis Family through Reconnecting

Webinars are live at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and all you have to do is register at www.KiwanisOne.org/webinars. They’re also archived online to watch later.