High School Students Take Leadership Education and Training Online
INDIANAPOLIS, July 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A pandemic and a canceled annual convention strengthened the resolve to gather — if only virtually — for student leaders of Key Club International.
The preeminent service leadership group for high school students typically sees 1,000 students at its annual convention. This summer, more than 4,500 teens registered for a three-day summer online leadership conference. A key meeting component is a series of sessions on creating a Culture of Care in high schools.
"It was important to us to be able to connect, to offer relevant content for continuing education and to have something we could all be a part of in light of the cancellation of our Key Club convention," said K'lena Schnack, Key Club International president. Schnack, from the Nebraska-Iowa District, had the distinction of serving as president during a tumultuous year that included changes to her own school year and club activities.
"While 2020 brought so much uncertainty, our Key Club members know that leadership and service are at their core," said Michelle Study Campbell, executive director, Kiwanis Youth Programs. "We had to find a way to bring them together to support them as they develop the skills they will need to continue their leadership journey."
Students who complete the four Culture of Care sessions will be certified change-makers, ready to make a positive impact in their communities. Each student will receive a certificate and will be included in continuing education throughout the year.
"Of all the sessions we offered, the Culture of Care series garnered the most interest among students," said Greg Stowers, director, Key Club International. "These sessions reinforce positive peer pressure that students can employ in their own schools and communities to help bring about real change."
The four courses include Out of bounds: Understanding healthy boundaries; You talking to me? Effective peer communication; Removing the blindfold: Bystander intervention 101; and a Train the trainer course, that will help students as they lead these sessions in their own communities.
Study-Campbell said Key Club International's board of 13 student leaders developed the curriculum for the summer leadership conference and quickly brought the online sessions to life. Registration is free and features more than a dozen sessions from today and Thursday; elections and business meetings will be Friday.
As with a physical convention, students will participate in a service project by writing letters of encouragement to residents of long-term care facilities and deliver them based on the lockdown phases of their communities.
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SOURCE Kiwanis International
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