What is Key Club?
Key Club International is the oldest, largest, and most successful non-profit student-led organization for high school students. We teach and spread our core values through community service: caring, character-building, inclusiveness, and leadership which were adopted by our Key Club International Board in 2002. Members of Key Club, a part of the community-service based Kiwanis International Family, develop themselves into young leaders as they positively impact their schools and communities.
Our organization was the inspired vision of California State Commissioner of Schools Albert C. Olney, and vocational education teacher Frank C. Vincent, who together worked to establish the first Key Club at Sacramento High School in |
California on May 7, 1925. Female students were first admitted into Key Club in 1976, eleven years before women were admitted to Kiwanis International, our sponsoring organization.
Today, Key Club exists on almost 5,000 high school campuses, 30 different countries, primarily in the United States and Canada. It has also grown internationally to the Caribbean nations, Central and South America, and most recently to Asia and Australia. With over 12 million hours of community service a year, Key Club International is an organization comprised of multi-state districts, divisions, and individual Key Clubs on high school campuses around the world. Our organization is funded by nominal dues paid by every member, as well as generous contributions by Kiwanis International to fund service-leadership training programs. Key Club’s district & international officers are high school leaders elected by the members at district and international conventions. Our community-service organization offers a wide range of opportunities to its members, such as by supporting our International Service Partners March of Dimes (funds research to reduce premature births), UNICEF (works to overcome poverty, violence, discrimination, and disease that afflict children around the world), and Children’s Miracle Network (raises funds for more than 170 children’s hospitals).
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students.
It is a student-led organization that teaches leadership through service to others.
Members of the Kiwanis International family, Key Club members build themselves as they build their schools and communities.
Download the Key Club International Board Handout for information on the structure of Key Club International.
Just the facts
Where is Key Club?
Key Club exists on more than 5,000 high school campuses in 30 countries:
Pledge/Motto/Objects
Key Club Pledge
I pledge on my honor to uphold the objects of Key Club International; to build my home, school, and community; to serve my nation and God; and combat all forces which tend to undermine these institutions.
Key Club Motto
The Key Club Motto is “Caring – Our way of Life.” Through Key Club’s work in the home, school, and community, Key Club members have learned that their organization is built around the concept of caring. With this concept as the foundation of the organization, Key Club will continue to be an effective and contributing organization in our schools and communities.
Objects of Key Club International
To develop initiative and leadership
To provide experience in living and working together
To serve the school and community
To prepare for useful citizenship
To cooperate with the school principal
To accept and promote the following ideals:
Mission/Vision/Core Values
Mission Statement
Key Club is an international, student-led organization providing its members with opportunities to perform service, build character, and develop leadership.
Vision Statement
We are caring and competent servant leaders transforming communities world-wide.
Core Values
The core values of Key Club International are leadership, character building, caring and inclusiveness.
For more information on these core values, see the Key Club International Core Values Workbook.
Today, Key Club exists on almost 5,000 high school campuses, 30 different countries, primarily in the United States and Canada. It has also grown internationally to the Caribbean nations, Central and South America, and most recently to Asia and Australia. With over 12 million hours of community service a year, Key Club International is an organization comprised of multi-state districts, divisions, and individual Key Clubs on high school campuses around the world. Our organization is funded by nominal dues paid by every member, as well as generous contributions by Kiwanis International to fund service-leadership training programs. Key Club’s district & international officers are high school leaders elected by the members at district and international conventions. Our community-service organization offers a wide range of opportunities to its members, such as by supporting our International Service Partners March of Dimes (funds research to reduce premature births), UNICEF (works to overcome poverty, violence, discrimination, and disease that afflict children around the world), and Children’s Miracle Network (raises funds for more than 170 children’s hospitals).
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students.
It is a student-led organization that teaches leadership through service to others.
Members of the Kiwanis International family, Key Club members build themselves as they build their schools and communities.
Download the Key Club International Board Handout for information on the structure of Key Club International.
Just the facts
- Key Club has approximately 260,000 members
- There are approximately 5,000 clubs
- Key Club is represented in 30 countries
Where is Key Club?
Key Club exists on more than 5,000 high school campuses in 30 countries:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- Germany
- Guadeloupe
- Hungary
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Malaysia
- Martinique
- Netherlands-Antilles
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Panama
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Korea
- St. Lucia
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- United States of America
Pledge/Motto/Objects
Key Club Pledge
I pledge on my honor to uphold the objects of Key Club International; to build my home, school, and community; to serve my nation and God; and combat all forces which tend to undermine these institutions.
Key Club Motto
The Key Club Motto is “Caring – Our way of Life.” Through Key Club’s work in the home, school, and community, Key Club members have learned that their organization is built around the concept of caring. With this concept as the foundation of the organization, Key Club will continue to be an effective and contributing organization in our schools and communities.
Objects of Key Club International
To develop initiative and leadership
To provide experience in living and working together
To serve the school and community
To prepare for useful citizenship
To cooperate with the school principal
To accept and promote the following ideals:
- To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.
- To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.
- To promote the adoption and application of higher standards in scholarship, sportsmanship, and social contacts.
- To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.
- To provide a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render unselfish service, and to build better communities.
- To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which will make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.
Mission/Vision/Core Values
Mission Statement
Key Club is an international, student-led organization providing its members with opportunities to perform service, build character, and develop leadership.
Vision Statement
We are caring and competent servant leaders transforming communities world-wide.
Core Values
The core values of Key Club International are leadership, character building, caring and inclusiveness.
For more information on these core values, see the Key Club International Core Values Workbook.