WORDS: Gabrielle Versmessen
After reading about the events and powerful testimonies from students during the Kiwanis Key Leader program in a March 2020 issue of Kiwanis Magazine, Judge Ed Nicholas was sold on bringing the program to Manatee County.
Targeted toward eighth-grade through eleventh-grade students, the Key Leader weekend helps students develop leadership and team-building skills while assisting them in becoming the best they can be. According to the Kiwanis website, the mission of Key Leader is to inspire young people to achieve their personal best through service leadership. Additionally, some benefits offered through participation in the program are a focus on service leadership and social-emotional skills, which can be cultivated through student participation in Kiwanis service organizations like Key Club.
This two-night sleepaway camp takes place at Dream Oaks Camp and Camp Flying Eagle. The students and chaperones sleep in spacious cabins at Dream Oaks Camp, and in the morning, they walk through the woods to Camp Flying Eagle, where they will eat their meals and participate in the day’s activities.
Speaking on the inaugural Bradenton Kiwanis Key Leader weekend held in March of 2023, Judge Nicholas said: “In this day and age, there is a lot of pressure on teenagers now with social media. It was a weekend to allow them to get away, set aside their phones for a moment, meet some new friends, and develop leadership skills that will assist them as they move through high school and into adulthood.”
When the kids first arrive at the camp, there are a lot of team-building exercises to get to know one another and break down barriers since they don’t know each other coming into the weekend. Lead Facilitator Craig Crawford flows through large and small group sessions, time for personal reflection, interactive activities, “challenge course” activities, and several videos. Craig tackles topics like what makes a good leader and the core values of good leaders.
Judge Nicholas pitched the Key Leader program to the Bradenton Kiwanis Club as a way to “help students understand their fit in the broader community and result in more caring, compassionate, and other-centered citizens and leaders.” He became the Key Leader Program Advisor for the Bradenton Kiwanis Club.
“As soon as I read about it, I immediately knew that this is absolutely something this community needs. It’s a unique and fun way to build leadership in eighth grade to high school students,” he said.
Judge Nicholas has been an active member of the Bradenton Kiwanis for over 20 years, is a former president, and has also been involved with the Kiwanis K-Club in Manatee County for many years.
During March’s Key Leader program, Judge Nicholas saw kids come in as strangers, wanting to become leaders, and then leave as friends and confident leaders who developed team-building and leadership skills.
One of his goals was to make the weekend available to students who would otherwise not be able to participate in this type of program. This year’s event had students from Take Stock in Children, Boys and Girls Club, and PACE Center for Girls.
While the cost was $75 for the weekend, there were scholarships available. Each student who participated in March received a scholarship for their participation. Although there is a cost, the Bradenton Kiwanis Club covered all of it.
Bill Murphy, a member of Kiwanis for the last six years, and Ruth Perez-Diaz, an ESOL teacher at King Middle School, recruited several of the 22 students who attended this year’s program. A few students even asked when the next one would be when they returned home.
Bill said: “It’s an outstanding opportunity for kids to find out there’s more to life than video games and have them really step up, understand what society is all about, and learn from other kids. It’s a powerful opportunity for them.”
“As members of Kiwanis, we are really dedicated to enriching the lives of children. I worked with a woman who is a compliance officer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to bring in students. We were able to bring in a couple of families. They went home with their minds on fire with the possibilities!”
Jayne Kocher, a Kiwanis member and elected official for the city of Bradenton, volunteered for the weekend’s events. She recalled two students who had not had an experience like the camp provides and were able to go home with extra resources to help their families.
“We hope the impact made on them that weekend followed them home. I was there as a volunteer from Kiwanis and was responsible for the food and meals. It allows me to be involved in something I otherwise would not have been. It was such a positive experience and something that I would have loved as a youth. The quality of the facilitator, Craig, was excellent,” Jayne said.
Next year, the Key Leader weekend will be held at the same locations (Dream Oaks Camp and Camp Flying Eagle) from March 8th through the 10th. Students who attended this past year’s program can also attend future camps, and scholarships are available. Those interested in registering for the event can visit: www.bradentonkiwanis.org/keyleader.
