Twelve students on an exchange program from China recently visited Indianapolis and took part in a Key Leader event. The visit and program were made possible by Chinese Education Connection, based in Indianapolis.

Students from China attended school and stayed with host families in Indianapolis for a little more than a week. This year, for the first time, service leadership programming was added to the curriculum. Students participated in a two-part program covering service leadership and the five Key Leader principles taught at every Key Leader weekend: Integrity, Growth, Respect, Community and Excellence.

Members of the Fishers High School Key Club in Fishers, Indiana, also took part in the program.

Attendees practiced mindfulness, learned about service leadership and took part in games and discussions based on the Key Leader principles, their personal values and local customs. Teachers from China joined the second half of the program, playing a community-building game with students and recording videos to share with colleagues back home.

“I really like the way to learn (through) fun activities with people that you do not know,” wrote an attendee from China. “We got to know each other in a very short time and became good friends.”

The special program may continue in future years and offer a unique link between Chinese and American students involved in this and other exchange programs.