Sunset’s Key Club teaches community service
By Rebecca Carney, M.S., Prevention/Intervention Specialist & Key Club Advisor, Sunset High
Key Club International, sponsored by Kiwanis International, is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is so successful because it's a student-led organization that teaches leadership and inclusiveness through serving others.
Key Club represents Sunset High School’s philosophic value of the need to give back to the community that supports it. Research shows that students who are connected to their school and community are more likely to be successful and community involvement increases the chances that young people will have positive attitudes and behaviors.
On December 13th, Sunset Key Club will celebrate 10 years of providing youth with the opportunity to be actively involved in their communities and school in a positive and productive way. Last year our membership grew from 60+ registered members the previous year, to over 120. This year we continue to experience an incredible growth in membership. At last count, we have registered over 139 members. The goal of our Board of Directors, which includes student Officers, Faculty and Kiwanis Advisors, now will be to give each and every member a rewarding experience with community service.
Amina Rahman, a junior at Sunset High School, says, “From a student’s perspective, Key Club is really an opportunity for high schoolers to find their passion in community service, become reliable leaders, and to meet others who believe in those same ideals. Key Club encourages us to look beyond ourselves. Going through high school is a stressful, long, and scary process: Key Club is one of the lights that makes high school become something to look forward to. I remember in 8th grade talking to my parents about what type of high school I wanted to go to, given all the new option schools that were opening that fall. I chose Sunset precisely for this reason: I knew that an experienced school would have many doors for me to choose from. In the end, I discovered Key Club, and I am a better person today because of it.”
|
