A new way to build youth leadership

A new way to build youth leadership

Nov 4, 2026 | Club building, General interest, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

One Kiwanis club turned its annual member installation into a civic event.

By Maleah Stephens, club secretary, Kiwanis Club of Litchfield, Arizona, U.S.

When people think of Kiwanis service projects, park cleanups and book drives often come to mind. But for our Kiwanis club in Arizona’s West Valley, the annual officer installation is no longer just “business” conducted in a club meeting.

Instead of hosting a private, closed-door dinner around a charter date, we created a wide-open, high-energy event on a community stage. In fact, it’s a regional catalyst for young adult leadership and cross-sector civic unity.

In September 2026, the ”United in Service” Community Installation Dinner brought together over 200 community leaders, students and local officials to see the Kiwanis family in action. Held at Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) in Avondale, Arizona, the evening broke the traditional mold of club routine to establish a bold new model for youth development.

The power of partnership
“United in Service” demonstrated the full power of the Kiwanis family and its community collaboration. Attendees saw and learned about: 

  • Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs (SLPs): Officers from 15 sponsored SLP clubs, spanning K-Kids, Builders Club, Key Club and Aktion Club, participated in presentations about activities they have planned in their communities as well as joint officer installations. 
  • Institutional support: High-level attendance from local school district superintendents, mayors and city council members solidified Kiwanis as the premier youth-development partner in the region. 
  • Cross-organizational unity: Leaders from neighboring nonprofit organizations joined the event, celebrating shared community goals. 
  • Higher education integration: By partnering with EMCC, the event demonstrated direct pathways for student life, student government and honor society members to transition into active Kiwanis leadership. 

How the project stands out
Rather than placing adult board installations at the center, the program inverted the traditional schedule. That helped us showcase: 

  • The youth-first shift: Student leaders were installed first, giving young people maximum energy from the crowd and visibility in front of city leaders and educational partners. 
  • Innovating young adult engagement: The event served as the official launchpad to support the Kiwanis Voices Club of the West Valley in Phoenix, Arizona. This was the second Kiwanis Voices club chartered in the U.S. Designed specifically for young adults ages 18-26, the Kiwanis Voices program helps bridge the gap between high school and college leadership and lifelong civic engagement. 
  • Interactive civic connections: Guests kicked off the night with an interactive “Civic Bingo” icebreaker, pairing student officers with mayors, superintendents and nonprofit executives to build authentic mentorship connections over dinner. 

Our results 
The immediate and long-term outcomes of the event include: 

  • Engaged leaders: Over 200 attendees joined the event — including 120 student leaders and advisors representing 15 schools. 
  • Sustainability: Built on a cosponsored model with EMCC and local business partners, the event was fully self-sustaining, requiring zero additional allocation from standard club funds. 
  • A young-adult pipeline: We established direct support for young adults ages 18-26 in the West Valley, securing the next generation of Kiwanis leaders. 

What’s your club’s story?
Has your club held an innovative installation ceremony — or transformed routine club business into a service and recruiting event? Tell us at [email protected].  

 

10 tips for better presentations

10 tips for better presentations

Nov 3, 2026 | General interest, News | 0 comments

In a group setting, you can help make everyone feel included.

By Tony Knoderer 

For any Kiwanis club, communication is crucial. Without a clear understanding, engagement and enthusiasm falter — whether the club is addressing the community or someone from the community is addressing the club.

Either way, you can make sure everyone feels included during a group presentation. These 10 tips can help account for a range of factors, from audiovisual needs to diverse cultural backgrounds:

  1. On slides, use font sizes 18-24 points or larger.  
  2. Choose common, easy-to-read fonts such as Arial and Georgia.  
  3. Keep text on slides to a minimum (six to eight lines per slide and no more than 30 words).  
  4. Write in sentence fragments, using keywords and bulleted lists.  
  5. Stay away from harsh colors and busy backgrounds.  
  6. Stick with simple animations or don’t use them at all. Audience members with visual impairments or learning disabilities such as dyslexia could have trouble reading words that move.  
  7. Use inclusive language that shows respect for all people and cultures.  
  8. Avoid sexist language and gender-biased comments.  
  9. Know your audience — avoid acronyms when possible, and make sure any anecdotes or humor are appropriate for everyone.  
  10. If you’re using software, turn on auto captions, if available. 

Of course, one way to avoid communication mishaps is to let at least one other member preview the presentation materials (such as a script and slide deck) and then provide feedback.  

Similarly, ask a guest speaker to create those materials ahead of time for review. You might even consider having the speaker sign a basic agreement that outlines expectations. 

We offer more guidance — including the tips above — in our downloadable information sheet, “How to Host Inclusive Presentations.” Download a copy and share it (or the webpage link) with fellow members! 

Scorecards help clubs recruit and retain

Scorecards help clubs recruit and retain

Nov 2, 2026 | Club building, General interest | 0 comments

Use our resources to track recruiting success and members’ interests.

By Tony Knoderer 

The more members a Kiwanis club has, the more kids it can serve. That’s why two of the most important factors in a club’s success are finding new members and retaining current members. But recruitment and retention require more than a single event or activity. For the strongest clubs, it’s an ongoing part of the culture. 

Kiwanis International offers two “scorecards” designed to help Kiwanis clubs keep track of two crucial pieces of information: recruiting success and member satisfaction. 

The club growth scorecard offers a simple and convenient way to keep track of your club’s success in converting guests to members. It also lets the club note which members invited guests and sponsored new members — so everyone can celebrate the individuals whose commitment made the roster grow. The two-sided piece also includes instructions for using the scorecard, measuring success and more. 

Similarly, the member engagement scorecard offers an easy-to-use chart for clubs to record:  

  • Local charities 
  • Organizations that members support  
  • Current service projects 
  • Ideas for projects to engage more members 

All together, it’s a way to ensure that service projects reflect what your club’s members are passionate about. There’s even a column for “unlimited funds” projects — to facilitate discussion of members’ dream initiatives.  

The opposite side of the page gives instructions for filling out the scorecard and using that information.

We encourage you to download, print and start using both scorecards!