U.S. ARMY WORKS TO INSPIRE FUTURE LEADERS AT 2018 KEY CLUB INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
Over Independence Day, more than 1,000 enthusiastic students filled the city of Chicago for the 2018 Key Club International Convention. The annual event brings together high school students from around the world to celebrate club accomplishments, engage in leadership development, team building, community service planning, and to conduct annual business.
Key Club International, a high school student-led Kiwanis club, is the oldest and largest service leadership organization in the world. With over 5,000 clubs in 30 nations across North America, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, Key Club’s 267,000 members build themselves as they build their schools and communities.
In its eighth year of partnership with Kiwanis International, the U.S. Army played an integral role at the convention with interactive workshops, team building games and performances from a U.S. Army band. The Chicago gathering marked the 75th year of the convention.
U.S. Army band member, Sergeant Tom Katsiyiannis, lead the National Anthem during the opening session of the Key Club International Convention on July 4, 2018
Highlights of the convention included the U.S. Army pop band, As You Were, presented by the Army Musical Outreach Program, who kicked off the opening session with popular songs that brought attendees to their feet. The band’s performance showcased a unique Army career path – or military occupational specialty (MOS) – U.S. Army musician. In addition, the Army hosted an interactive exhibit space during the convention’s carnival-themed meet and greet session. The booth included games for Soldiers to interact with students, a custom dog tag machine as well as information on the Army’s education programs.
Mr. Joey Minor, Recruiting Operations Officer, greets students during the Key Club International Convention meet and greet on July 5, 2018.
During the “Graduating College: Debt-Free and with Real-World Experience” Army workshop, Second Lieutenant Tyler Fricke and Mr. Joey Minor asked students, “How would you like to enter the workforce with leadership skills, job training and a proven record of success?” They shared how Army ROTC can enhance the college experience, provide financial support and make students more competitive in the workplace through valuable training in problem solving, critical thinking and leadership. Students also learned about the more than 200 careers available in the Army ranging from STEM fields to public affairs and culinary services as well as opportunities to continue their education through medical school or graduate school.
Second Lieutenant Danielle Walker leads a group of students during the U.S. Army team-building activity, “Human Scrabble,” at the 2018 Key Club International Convention.
In another Army-led workshop, students packed into a room, ready to compete and demonstrate their leadership skills for “Team-Building with the U.S. Army: Human Scrabble.” Led by members of the Chicago Recruiting Battalion, groups participated in a team building game where they had to quickly determine a collective approach to take on a series of Scrabble-inspired word construction challenges, complete with a spirit of healthy competition. The exercise highlighted the foundations of teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving and adapting to a rapidly-changing environment, which are all essential skills for Soldiers in the Army.
At the end of the week, students walked away more knowledgeable about service leadership, goal-oriented decision-making and identifying their unique leadership attributes through effective strategies developed by the Army.
Check out this video to see more about the U.S. Army and Kiwanis International partnership. For more information about Key Club, visit https://www.keyclub.org/
