School Kid Programs from Kiwanis Clubs
Projects Designed to Raise Grades and Develop Leadership Skills
Jan 31, 2009
According to the Kiwanis International website, the volunteer organization now has more than 600,000 men, women and youth in nearly 16,000 clubs located in more than 70 countries. The organization estimates its adult and youth clubs "volunteer more than 21 million hours and invest more than $113 million in their communities around the world."
The Kiwanis family includes:
- More than 8,000 Kiwanis clubs for men and women around the globe
- Circle K clubs for college students on 550 campuses
- Key clubs for nearly a quarter million high school students in 24 countries.
- 1300 Builders Clubs for middle and junior high school students in 18 nations. Their membership is estimated at nearly 40,000
- K-Kids service clubs for elementary students.
- More than 200 Aktion Club in seven nations for adults living with disabilities. The clubs encourage members to develop initiative and leadership skills through hands-on service.
- More than 50 Kiwanis Junior clubs for European young adults (ages 18 to 35) who want to share the Kiwanis service experience.
In addition, Kiwanis sponsors several special programs to recognize students and develop community service leadership.
Bring Up Grades Program
The Kiwanis "Bring Up Grades" (BUG) program recognizes elementary school students who improve their grades and maintain those grades at acceptable levels. Teachers establish baseline grades for each student during the first grading period. The program normally must be approved by the school principle or school system superintendent and is often conducted in cooperation with parent-teacher associations.
Working with the school, the sponsoring Kiwanis club plans recognition parties, provides awards and establishes partnerships with local firms to help support the program with prizes. The recognition program is built around BUG parties and BUG honor rolls and is often accompanied by friendly bug illustrations.
The program "motivates children to strive to do their best," Kiwanis International President Donald Canaday said. "Any student who brings up at least one grade, without letting any other grades drop, wins."
Some Kiwanians volunteer to read to students in association with the BUG program.
Terrific Kids
Terrific Kids is another student recognition program sponsored by Kiwanis clubs. The program encourages students to work with their teachers to establish goals to improve attendance, school work, behavior and/or their relations with other students. Terrific is an acronym for some of the qualities the program tries to develop in the students: Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Responsible, Inclusive, Friendly, Inquisitive and Capable. Kiwanians sponsor recognition parties for the students who meet their goals.
The newest Kiwanis project for young people is the Key Leaders program, a series of weekend events scheduled at getaway sites around the nation. The events, which are open to students in the 9th through 12th grades, are designed to stimulate personal leadership growth and to be "a life changing experience."
Many of the attending students are Key Club members but the program is open to all students in that age bracket. The events focus on community service leadership and teach youngsters that "leadership comes from helping others succeed."
Kiwanis Clubs Sponsor Students
Kiwanis says the weekend programs were designed by "a task force of professionals" who were asked "to invent something extraordinary."
A $175 fee to cover lodging, meals and activities is charged for each student, but most of the fees are paid by Kiwanis clubs that sponsor students.
All the programs are part of a mission statement which says "Kiwanis is a global organization dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time."
References:
- Kiwanis International.org, Jan. 30, 2009
- "Proud kids, proud club," by Donald Canaday, Kiwanis Magazine, February 2009
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