Kiwanis’ global impact in 2024 

Kiwanis’ global impact in 2024 

Dec 3, 2024 | General interest, News, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

Look back at some of the Kiwanis family’s biggest events and highlights this year.

By Sarah Moreland

Can you believe that 2024 is almost over? Before we pull out the party hats and noisemakers to usher in 2025, let’s look back at some of the Kiwanis family’s biggest events and highlights of the past year. 

More service and support

We wouldn’t be Kiwanis without service to kids, and this year, clubs around the world continued to make communities near and far a better place. Just a few examples: 

  • The Kiwanis Club of Pakistan built a sustainable water source in a village in Sindh, where villagers previously traveled up to 12 miles for access to clean water.  
  • Members of the Kiwanis Club of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo established psychological support programs for children traumatized by violence and natural disasters. 
  • The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S., celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Burning of Zozobra with 65,000 people in attendance — and more than 1.5 million virtually — to raise money for several youth organizations. 
  • When students at McMillian Middle School in Florida, U.S., qualified to compete at the World Robotics Championships, the Kiwanis Club of Miami sponsored 20 students to attend. 
  • Several clubs turned milestone anniversaries into opportunities for philanthropy, including the Kiwanis Club of Roseville, which commemorated 75 years with a combined donation of US$75,000 to 15 organizations in its California, U.S., community.  

Looking for more examples of amazing Kiwanis projects? Meet the winners of the 2024 Kiwanis Signature Project Contest.  

Submissions for the 2025 Signature Project Contest will be accepted beginning in early January.  

More collaboration 

We achieve more together. That’s why Kiwanis members once again teamed up for a week with Lions Clubs International, Optimist International and Rotary International for the fourth annual Celebrate Community. Kiwanians around the world — from India and Mexico to the Philippines and the United States — participated, continuing a tradition of global service and unity.  

More possibilities

The Kiwanis Children’s Fund launched The Possibility Project, the first fundraising campaign that solely supports Kiwanis and the children we serve. More than US$6 million has been raised so far — but there’s still so much work to do to ensure kids everywhere are healthy, happy and successful.  

Other highlights from the Children’s Fund in 2024: 

  • Meet the seven outstanding Key Club and CKI leaders who received scholarships to continue their education. Students can apply now until February 1, 2025, for the next round of scholarships — including the new US$4,500 Wagner Family Scholarship for Key Club members. 
  • The second annual Kiwanis Day of Giving nearly doubled its initial goal, resulting in more than US$130,000 raised for the Children’s Fund! That’s enough to reach more than 57,000 children. Mark your calendars now: Kiwanis Day of Giving returns February 25. 
  • UNICEF announced that Mali and Guinea are the latest countries to have achieved maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) elimination. The Children’s Fund continued the Kiwanis family’s support for the fight against MNT with a US$275,000 grant to UNICEF in July.  

More learning and leadership 

Each year, Kiwanis members step up to lead their clubs, districts and the organization as a whole: 

  • At the 2024 Kiwanis International Convention in Denver, delegates elected Lee Kuan Yong of the Malaysia District as 2024-25 Kiwanis International president. Michael Mulhaul of the New Jersey District was elected to serve as president-elect, and Hope Markes of the Eastern Canada and Caribbean District as vice president. Dawn Puderbaugh Hodges of the Carolinas District, Jo Schwartz of the Kansas District and Scott Sims of the Alabama District were also elected trustees for the United States and Pacific Canada Region. See the full House of Delegates recap. Start planning for the 2025 Kiwanis International Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 25-28! 
  • This year, nearly 600 Kiwanians representing 30 countries completed Kiwanis Amplify, our robust online leadership program featuring interactive modules on topics like communications, diversity and event planning. Read about two Kiwanians’ experiences with the program — and then plan to join the next cohort in early 2025. Registration opens January 6 at kiwanis.org/amplify.  
  • Paul Palazzolo became the executive director of Kiwanis International after the retirement of Stan Soderstrom on January 29. Palazzolo served as the 2009-10 Kiwanis International president. He first joined the Kiwanis family in the early 1980s when he joined the Key Club of Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield, Illinois, U.S.  

More student leadership development

The Kiwanis family consists of volunteers of all ages. Our Service Leadership Programs (SLPs) span elementary school through university and include a club for adults with disabilities. Here are a few SLP highlights for 2024: 

Key Club International, our program for high school students, continues to grow — now exceeding 225,000 members worldwide! Key Club members continue to raise money for Start Strong: Zambia, a fundraising campaign with UNICEF to support early childhood education in the southeastern African nation. As of November, members have raised almost US$200,000 for the campaign. At the 2024 Key Club International Convention, attendees developed their skills at leadership workshops and weaved mats out of recycled plastic bags for the host city’s unhoused population. During the convention, delegates elected David Robaina of the Southwest District as 2024-25 Key Club International president. 

Get ready to celebrate! Key Club turns 100 on March 25. Find out how you can get involved. 

Circle K International, our program for university students, held its 2024 convention in Denver in tandem with the Kiwanis International convention. Delegates elected Taylor DiCicco of the Alabama District to serve as 2024-25 Circle K International president. Attendees participated in workshops about CKI projects and initiatives, including Brick x Brick, in partnership with UNICEF USA. CKI has, to date, raised more than US$130,000 for Brick x Brick, which supports sustainability, education and empowerment for families in the African nation of Côte d’Ivoire by building classrooms with recycled materials. CKI has raised enough money to build two classrooms! 

CKI will again join Kiwanis in Pittsburgh in June 2025 for its concurrent convention. 

 

Connecting with Key Club creativity 

Connecting with Key Club creativity 

Nov 20, 2024 | General interest, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

In California, U.S., a Kiwanis club’s festival benefits from students’ energy.  

By Julie Saetre

Seven years ago, the Mountain View Kiwanis Club in California, U.S., decided to hold its first Harvest History Festival to celebrate Mountain View’s agricultural past. For help with the event, the club reached out to the two Key Clubs they sponsor. In fact, they made an offer: In return for assistance, the Kiwanis club would pay each student volunteer’s Key Club membership dues for the year. The response was enthusiastic — and impressive. 

“They helped with the setup, they helped with the tear-down. The city [representatives] were so impressed with them,” says Marina Marinovic, a Mountain View club member. “And so, as the festival kept going, I would think of ways that we could raise some money for them.” 

At subsequent Harvest History Festivals, Key Club members have sold snacks and raffle tickets to raise money for their club budgets. And their festival responsibilities grew to include face-painting, manning a coloring table, guiding children through arts and crafts projects and more. 

When one of Marinovic’s neighbors was giving away a puppet theater, Marinovic approached the Key Clubs and asked whether they’d like to create a puppet show for the festival. The members readily agreed.  

Thanks to their enthusiasm, Marinovic now hopes the clubs will be able to hold future performances for young patients at area children’s hospitals. It’s not just the spirit of service but the Key Clubbers’ passion for creative projects that makes her optimistic. 

“I don’t think they get an opportunity to do that so much in school anymore,” Marinovic says. “So it seems they enjoy doing something that is fun and great for children.” 

Is your club making the most of its Key Club sponsorship? Marinovic advises Kiwanis clubs to reach out to their Key Club members and discuss ways that their clubs can collaborate.  

“It’s great to interact with kids and see how resourceful and wonderful they are to work with,” she says. “It’s great to have the young energy there and for them to interact with older members. It just really brings up the spirit of the whole event. I don’t think we recognize that they can really support Kiwanis clubs as an asset.” 

Grants help CKI do more in communities

Grants help CKI do more in communities

Sep 6, 2024 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service Leadership Programs | 0 comments

Six Circle K International projects receive Tomorrow Fund grants.

By Erin Chandler

Circle K International members are the next generation of servant leaders — and they’re already making a difference in college and university communities around the world. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund established the Tomorrow Fund to help these clubs implement more creative solutions to problems and make the greatest possible positive impact. 

This July, the Children’s Fund awarded Tomorrow Fund grants to six new CKI projects that will bring vital resources where they are needed most. 

Connect, Learn and Act for Disaster Prevention
Circle K International of Ashiya University, Japan
Ashiya University CKI plans to host a disaster-preparedness course for attendees of the 2025 CKI Asia-Pacific Conference. A Tomorrow Fund grant will go toward the fees for an expert-led lecture and workshop. The course will also include a tour of a disaster-prevention experience-learning facility. Ashiya CKI members hope the clubs that take part in the experience will be motivated to host similar courses in Asian communities that commonly deal with disasters such as earthquakes, floods and tsunamis. 

Literacy Kits Donation for Young Students
Circle K International of Pace University, New York, U.S.
A Tomorrow Fund grant will help Pace University CKI purchase backpacks, school supplies and hygiene kits to distribute to kids in need in New York City. CKI members will fill the backpacks with supplies and deliver them to schools participating in Jumpstart’s “Read for the Record” early literacy program. The school supplies, including copies of the book being read aloud during “Read for the Record,” will help engage kids in learning and reading, while the hygiene supplies will reduce absences and boost confidence. 

Leading for Literacy: Little Free Libraries
Circle K International of the University of Alabama, U.S.
University of Alabama CKI will use its Tomorrow Fund grant to help purchase kits with all the materials necessary to build Little Free Libraries at three area Title I schools. Through this project, kids whose families might not be able to purchase books will be able to build their home libraries, practice reading outside of school and develop their love of learning. The club plans to turn its Leading for Literacy book drive into an annual event that will allow club members to continually restock each Little Free Library.   

Community Book Fair
Circle K International of the University of Central Florida, U.S.
University of Central Florida CKI intends to increase literacy rates in its community’s public elementary schools by hosting a series of engaging, interactive book fairs. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the club purchase books and school supplies, some of which will be available to students for free, and themed learning games. CKI volunteers will lead the games during the book fairs and donate them to the schools afterward. The club also intends to follow up with the participating schools, hosting storybook readings and providing tutoring where needed. 

Decorating Bags for Meals on Wheels and Senior Resources
Circle K International of the University of South Carolina, U.S.
The University of South Carolina will use its Tomorrow Fund grant to purchase paper and cloth bags for the local Meals on Wheels and Senior Resources programs, as well as art supplies to decorate the bags with messages and artwork. The bags will be filled with food for community members who struggle to afford groceries or to get to the store. CKI members hope the decorated bags will help fill both the nutritional and emotional needs of those who receive them.  

Once Upon a Time Literacy Service Project
Circle K International Florida District, U.S.
A Tomorrow Fund grant will help purchase supplies for the district-wide “Once Upon a Time” project to promote literacy at the 2025 CKI Florida District Convention. Participants will rotate through a variety of small service projects: making reading pointers, bottle cap letters, sight word flashcards, number flashcards, paper bag hand puppets, bookmarks and booklets. They will also write messages inside books that the Kiwanis Club of Avalon will distribute to local K-Kids. The project’s organizers hope to inspire young children to love reading and to inspire clubs to replicate these projects in their communities. 

How to get involved
Does your Circle K International group have a project idea that could benefit from a Tomorrow Fund grant? Learn more about the grant and how to apply. If your Kiwanis club does not yet sponsor a CKI club, learn about the advantages of chartering one.