Get involved with Key Leader!

Busy schedules shouldn’t hold students back from becoming the leaders they are meant to be. That’s why the Key Leader program offers two paths, with one-day and weekend leadership training options for graduating 8th grade and high school students.

Students are not required to be members of a Kiwanis International Service Leadership Program to participate in the Key Leader program.

Whether your district already hosts a Key Leader event or is interested in adding one to your annual calendar, there are many ways to get involved!

How to attend
Interested in attending a Key Leader event? Visit key-leader.org/register to find upcoming events in your area.  

How to sponsor
Thanks to the generosity of countless Kiwanians, many students can attend a Key Leader event at no cost to them. Kiwanis members, clubs or local businesses can sponsor a student’s registration fee, location fees or costs associated with an event.  

Looking to add a signature service project to your club’s activities? Find a nearby Key Leader event to sponsor, raise funds for Key Leader attendance scholarships and recruit volunteer chaperones.  

If you’re interested in sponsoring a student or an event, you can connect with the Key Leader Chair at key-leader.org/register.

How to host
You can give teens a life-changing leadership training experience and help the young people in your district continue to grow as leaders by hosting a one-day or weekend Key Leader event in your district.  

Email  for more information! 

Host responsibilities: 

  • Research and secure site location. 
  • Recruit volunteers and chaperones. 
  • Market and coordinate student registration. 
  • Provide lunch and snacks for students. 
  • Supply pens, name tags and easel paper pads. 

Kiwanis International Service Leadership Programs provide: 

  • A trained facilitator 
  • Student curriculum handbooks and neighborhood facilitator guides 
  • Certificates of completion 
  • Key Leader grams (notes of positive affirmation)