How to open doors for K-Kids clubs

A frequent question clubs ask when they want to open a K-Kids club is “How can we gain acceptance from the school faculty and administrators?”

Here are bits of advice offered by seasoned K-Kids club-building experts:

• Personally visit the school and ask to speak to the individual who is in charge of volunteer opportunities. Meet with this individual and explain that you are a Kiwanis club member and that your members are interested in offering a helping hand at the school. Assure him or her that Kiwanis members are happy to submit to background checks, which the school may require.
• Ask about the school’s needs for assistance, and discuss how Kiwanis-family clubs can address these needs. Kiwanians might begin by reading to elementary school students or providing additional staffing at special events. When volunteering at the school, always wear Kiwanis-branded clothing to establish an awareness about the organization and your club. After a few months of volunteering, students and faculty will see that Kiwanis members are serious about their commitment to the school and its students.
• After establishing a presence at the school, introduce the Kiwanis Kids programs (Terrific Kids, Bring Up Grades, and K-Kids) to the school volunteer coordinator and principal. Provide information about all the Kiwanis Kids programs and give the principal an opportunity to consider which programs would be most beneficial to the students and staff. If you have an opportunity to educate the leadership of the Parent-Teacher Organization or Parent-Teacher Association, include them.

If your club has questions about establishing Kiwanis Kids programs in your local school, contact Lisa Pyron, Kiwanis International’s elementary school specialist.