Key Leader by Kiwanis International is a weekend leadership program for high school students put on by the Rocky Mountain District Kiwanis organization. Our mission is to inspire young people to achieve their personal best through service leadership. Key Leader has served more than 35,000 students at over 750 Key Leader events around the world.
Key Leader teaches service leadership and social-emotional skills essential for students to become values-driven leaders in their communities. The program is based in part on Robert Greenleaf’s “Servant Leadership” model and is delivered by a professional, program trained facilitator. Key Leader is an essential program, designed to break down the isolation many students face in an era of smartphones and social media while teaching critical leadership and communication skills.
Each Key Leader Program is led by a certified lead facilitator, who oversees the implementation of the curriculum and leads all large group sessions. Older students, including previous Key Leader attendees, serve as facilitators for activities in small groups called “neighborhoods.”
The program flows through large- and small- group sessions, time for personal reflection, interactive activities, “challenge course” activities, and is anchored by several videos.