KIWANIS

KIWANIS. In 1923 Kiwanis had been an important service club, according to the local news, for more than three years. It was with some surprise, then, when it was discovered that the organization had been operating without a charter. On January 15, 1923 local president Matt CZIZEK announced that the charter had arrived and filed.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to developing youth as leaders, build playgrounds and raise funds for pediatric research. Clubs help shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, mentor the disadvantaged and care for the sick.

Kiwanis’ Service Leadership Programs provide service and leadership opportunities for young people and adults with disabilities around the world. Elementary school students Kiwanis Kids provides three programs—K-Kids, Terrific Kids and Bring Up Grades—for students ages 6 to 12. Teens Kiwanis offers three programs that allow students to discover their own leadership potential—Builders Club, exclusively for middle and junior high school students; Key Club, the largest high school service club in the world; and Key Leader, a weekend leadership experience for students age 14–18. Young adults Circle K International has clubs on more than 500 campuses in 17 nations. Adults living with disabilities Aktion Club is the only community service club that provides these members opportunities to become integrated in their communities while developing initiative and leadership skills.

Kiwanis’ Worldwide Service Project is a Kiwanis-family initiative to make a positive difference in the world on behalf of children. In its first Worldwide Service Project, Kiwanis worked to virtually eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), the leading preventable cause of mental retardation. In 2010 about 70 percent of the people in the developing world now have access to iodized salt. UNICEF has hailed this project as one of the greatest public health triumphs of the 20th century.