Key Leader by Kiwanis is a weekend leadership program for high school and graduating 8th grade students. Our mission is to inspire young people to achieve their personal best through service leadership. Key Leader has served tens of thousands of students at more than 700 Key Leader events in 40 U.S. states, 7 Canadian provinces, Malaysia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, El Salvador and Singapore.

Facilitation Team

Each Key Leader program is led by a qualified and certified Lead Facilitator, who oversees the implementation of the curriculum and leads all large group sessions.

Meet the Team

Volunteer Led

Key Leader programs are organized and led by teams of volunteers dedicated to the development of youth and service leadership. All Kiwanis volunteers and chaperones obtain background checks and follow the Kiwanis Youth Protection Guidelines.

Youth Protection Resources

Key Leader Curriculum

Inspiring new leaders for over 20 years. Key Leader helps students find their fit.

Learning Methods

The Key Leader program includes large and small group discussions, personal reflection time, and video-based activities. Participants reflect on their values, learn to set goals, and walk through the five Key Leader Principles.

Leadership

Leadership is the art of inspiring and guiding others toward a shared vision through self-awareness, leveraging personal strengths and aligning words with actions. Effective leadership hinges on authenticity, accountability and consistency, fostering team trust and collaboration.

Growth Mindset

Leadership is about embracing failure as a catalyst for growth, showing perseverance amid challenges, and stepping beyond your comfort zone for personal and leadership development. It involves fostering a positive and leadership-oriented mindset and continually seeking opportunities to grow and improve.

Global Citizenship

Leadership involves individuals collaborating to make positive changes in their communities — locally, nationally and globally — by adopting a service-oriented approach and committing to becoming proactive change agents. This benefits individuals, and it’s essential for strengthening our future, inspiring continuous growth and creating significant progress.

Meaningful Connection

Leadership acknowledges the impact of genuine connections. By fostering authentic friendships based on trust and respect, it encourages an inclusive and respectful environment — creating a sense of belonging, addressing issues of loneliness and promoting collaboration toward common goals.

Effective Communication

Leadership emphasizes active listening — recognizing the difference between impact and intent in our communication. It embraces the idea that evolving one's own thinking is a sign of growth, not concession, and values flexibility as a key trait in navigating many leadership dynamics.

Discover Key Leader