10 reasons to attend the 2025 convention

10 reasons to attend the 2025 convention

From education and fellowship to inspiration and celebration, it’s the year’s biggest Kiwanis event.

By Julie Saetre

Get ready: The 2025 Kiwanis International Convention is on the horizon! We’ll gather in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 25-28. Register now to join your fellow Kiwanians for the biggest event of the year — and to help forge the future. 

Here’s why you’ll want to be there: 

  1. Dynamic educational workshops and classes. Explore the ways Kiwanians are building new clubs and gain insight into expanding and nurturing your club’s membership. Learn how to make your club attractive, meaningful and enjoyable for all generations. Dive into master classes that go deeper into leadership training and community service, with subject-matter experts as your guides. Our workshops will get you ready to tackle a to-do list designed to take your club — and Kiwanis — to the next level. 
  2. The Convention Kickoff. Start your experience with a celebration of Kiwanis. The opening session features beloved actor, producer and author Henry Winkler. You’ll be inspired by Winkler’s story and his commitment to helping children reach their full potential. 
  3. Membership Fair and Welcome Reception. Looking for recruiting inspiration? Pick up tips from clubs that have been recognized for their growth efforts after using Two For Two, club boosts, open houses, guest days or their own membership drives. During the Welcome Reception, visit vendors, meet candidates and enjoy entertainment and refreshments. New this year: a DJ and door prizes! 
  4. Fellowship with Kiwanians from around the world. Take time to relax with longtime Kiwanis friends and new connections. Join fellow Kiwanians for the Sunset Social, a special party on the rooftop of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center with finger food, a cash bar and entertainment. On Saturday night, mingle at the Gatsby-inspired bar or hit the dance floor during our Roaring 20s Gala. 
  5. CKI members. Circle K International — the Kiwanis service program for university students — is holding its convention alongside ours at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center! Stop by the CKI booth in the Kiwanis Marketplace to meet some of its members — and learn about the amazing work they do on their campuses, in their communities and around the world! 
  6. Kiwanis Launchpads. There will be two Kiwanis Launchpads this year. Designed to be short and high impact, these presentations will send you home with ideas and inspiration. The first Launchpad will celebrate Key Club’s 100th anniversary by featuring alumni who credit much of their success to the values and skills they learned in Key Club. At the second Launchpad, you’ll hear from the director of the Fred Rogers Institute, as well as an engaging speaker who will teach you how to find joy in conflict through curiosity.  
  7. Kiwanis Marketplace. This is your go-to hub at the heart of the convention. Shop, snap photos, snag swag and more. Here, you’ll find exhibitors and Kiwanis partners who can inspire fresh ideas on impactful service projects and effective fundraisers. You can also browse Kiwanis-branded merchandise, including special-issue 2025 convention items. Meet the candidates running for international officers and trustees. Learn about your host city. Get details about our ongoing Build. Nurture. Retain. membership initiative. Explore the new Kiwanis Engage membership platform. And more! 
  8. 2025 Kiwanis Annual Meeting. Get informed about the business of Kiwanis International and add your voice to our future. Delegates from clubs around the world will elect the organization’s next leaders and vote on amendments. 
  9. Celebrations. From the Welcome Reception and the Convention Kickoff to the Kiwanis Roaring 20s Gala, you’ll celebrate Kiwanis and the amazing work our clubs and members accomplish every day. Have breakfast with our Signature Project Contest finalists (and see who wins the big prizes). Enjoy lunch on Thursday while learning about The Possibility Project’s Generosity Challenge and on Friday while marking Key Club’s milestone centennial birthday. And get ready for a night of glitz and glamor at Saturday night’s Roaring ’20s Gala. 
  10. Our host city. Pittsburgh is a versatile destination brimming with discoveries. From the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, you’ll have easy access to the Cultural District, the historic Strip District and the Allegheny River. You’ll also be located near shops, restaurants, galleries and theaters. From sightseeing to the sports scene, breweries to bistros, and amusement rides to museums, Pittsburgh has something for everyone! 
Telling your club’s Kiwanis story 

Telling your club’s Kiwanis story 

There are many ways to show how your club serves kids — and we have resources to help. 

By Tony Knoderer

Facts and figures have their uses. But when it comes to showing what it’s like to be a Kiwanis member, you can’t beat the simple act of sharing the experience. Every time you do, you’re telling a story about what Kiwanis service means — to the kids who benefit from it and the members who provide it. 

In fact, storytelling is the most effective way to inspire and inform people. But what does it mean to tell your Kiwanis club’s story?  

It happens whenever you help people understand what Kiwanis is like — when you talk about your club with another person or in a presentation to a group or community leader, but also when you’re simply sharing photos of a service project on social media.   

It’s important — and that’s why Kiwanis International has resources to help. Check out “Tips and Tools to Tell the Kiwanis Story,” our downloadable booklet with best practices for everything from messaging and public relations to photography, social media and more. 

It’s just one of the resources we make available on our branding and marketing webpage 

Remember: Whenever you communicate about your club and its service with people outside Kiwanis, you’re telling the Kiwanis story. And it’s the kind of story people want to be part of — because it’s about changing children’s lives, improving communities and giving members a sense of fellowship. 

Key Clubs serve communities, classmates 

Key Clubs serve communities, classmates 

The Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded 41 Youth Opportunities Fund grants to outstanding Key Club projects in November. 

By Erin Chandler

This year, Key Club International is celebrating 100 years of making a difference in schools and communities around the world. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund established the Youth Opportunities Fund so that Key Club leaders can continue taking action for the next 100 years and beyond.  

In November, the Children’s Fund awarded Youth Opportunities Fund grants for 41 outstanding Key Club projects that serve kids with medical needs, unhoused families and more — including their own classmates. Of the top 11 projects — as determined by the Key Club International Board committee and Children’s Fund representatives — nine are ongoing projects that have been awarded grants in the past. In alphabetical order by club name, the top 11 are:    

Colors for Children’s 5K/1-Mile Run
Key Club of Auburn High School, Alabama, U.S.
Participants in the Colors for Children’s 5K/1-Mile Run are pelted with colored powder at every mile, making for a vibrant, festive fun run — and all for a good cause. In its first two years, this Auburn High School Key Club event has raised approximately US$13,000 to support research and improved facilities at Children’s Hospital of Alabama. Thanks to a Youth Opportunities Fund grant, the third annual race will be better than ever, with snacks, water stations, race day video and photo ops, and medals for the runners. 

“Key to Sweet Dreams” Bedtime Kits
Key Club of Boyd County, Kentucky, U.S.
The Boyd County High School Key Club knows that kids need a good night’s sleep to learn and grow. That’s why members founded and coordinate a project to provide 125-250 “bedtime kits” consisting of sheets, a comforter or blanket, a mattress cover, a pillow, a stuffed animal, a book, a night-light, an alarm clock and a mattress to children in need each year. They also pack a bag of hygiene products for the whole family, while Ashland Build-A-Bed provides a twin-size bedframe. The club works with four Key Clubs, four Kiwanis clubs, a Builders Club and an Aktion Club in the district to collect supplies for the bedtime kits, which have gone to kids in their own community as well as survivors of natural disasters in Kentucky and Tennessee. 

A Night to Remember: After Prom Party
Key Club of Chillicothe High School, Missouri, U.S.
The Chillicothe High School Key Club hosts a free, fun, safe and substance-free prom after-party to make sure fellow students get home safely on prom night. A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will allow the club to hold this year’s party at Extreme Racing, where partygoers will enjoy go-kart racing, arcade games and paintball as an alternative to more risky behavior. 

Winter Blitz 2024
Key Club of Clackamas High School, Oregon, U.S.
In 2024, the Clackamas High School Key Club teamed up with the Key Club of Adrienne C. Nelson High School to raise a combined US$14,000 in a Winter Blitz fundraising drive. The total raised will be supplemented by a Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant to purchase food, clothing, household items, hygiene products, children’s toys and holiday gifts for over 600 families in need. The club has been serving its community through this project for 26 years, and they hope to be able to meet even more families’ needs in the future. 

The Hope Festival 2025
Key Club of Eastlake High School, Washington, U.S.
A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help the Eastlake High School Key Club move its 2025 Hope Festival to a larger venue to accommodate the ever-expanding services it offers the club’s community. The Hope Festival provides free groceries, clothing, hygiene products, toys, haircuts, massages, vaccinations, health screenings and more to low-income and unhoused families. Members also offer fun activities for kids, and they partner with local organizations to connect people to essential services, including mental health and educational support, domestic violence assistance and help finding employment. The event allows young volunteers to develop their leadership and love of service while spreading hope throughout their community. 

Reading for Reason
Forest Hills Northern High School, Michigan, U.S.
The Forest Hills Northern High School Key Club consulted with librarians at the Cascade Library to set up a Reading for Reason program. Club members will read to children ages 4-11 at the library to help jumpstart their love of literacy — and every book will impart a meaningful message. A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will allow the club to deepen the kids’ learning through creative, interactive activities and crafts. Then, at the end of the session, each child will be able to bring a book home with them. 

Essentials for Education
Key Club of Hagerty High School, Florida, U.S.
The Hagerty High School Key Club is planning two drives to collect and distribute school supplies such as notebooks, pencils and backpacks for students, as well as classroom supplies like dry-erase markers, tissues and paper for teachers. A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will supplement the supplies the club gives to those in need. In the process, club members hope to raise awareness about educational inequality in their community’s schools. 

Eagles for Eagles
Key Club of Kennet High School, New Hampshire, U.S.
In 2022, a Kennet High School family support liaison reached out to the Key Club with a request to lend a helping hand to their own classmates. In their “Eagles for Eagles” project, the club raises funds for groceries, hygiene items and gas cards for approximately 30 Kennet High School students while maintaining their privacy. By alleviating the financial burden of these essential items, club members hope to increase their classmates’ attendance at school and work, academic engagement and self-esteem — and to allow the school’s support programs to focus on more long-term assistance. 

Life Skills Prom
Key Club of Kewanee High School, Illinois, U.S.
This year, a Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help 80 students with disabilities at Kewanee High School and five other area schools enjoy a circus-themed prom with dancing, catered food and new decorations. The Key Club hosts the prom in its school gym during the school day to make sure students in the Life Skills program, who may not be able to attend an off-site prom in the evening, don’t miss out on this special event. The students’ families also attend and take pictures. Everyone involved looks forward to the Life Skills Prom all year! 

Dance Marathon
Key Club of Lake Minneola High School, Florida, U.S.
The Lake Minneola High School Key Club has discovered a way to raise funds for kids in need and bring fun to the community at the same time — the Children’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon program. The club will hold fundraisers such as candygram sales throughout the year, culminating in a four-hour dance marathon. Proceeds from ticket sales, concessions and sponsorships will help to fund research and education, purchase medical equipment and enhance patients’ stays at Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.  

Project Wellness Pak
Key Club of Utica Academy for International Studies, Michigan, U.S.
The Utica Academy for International Studies will help fight rising homelessness in their community through Project Wellness Pak. Key Club members will package blankets and personal hygiene projects such as shampoo and conditioner, body wash, combs, hairbrushes, toothbrushes and toothpaste for people experiencing homelessness. They hope these Wellness Paks will increase health and quality of life for those sleeping outdoors, especially in adverse weather conditions. 

How to get involved 
Does your Key Club have a project idea that could benefit from a Youth Opportunities Fund grant? Learn more about the grant and how to apply on the Key Club website. If your club does not yet sponsor a Key Club, learn about the advantages of chartering one today on the Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs page.