By Nicole McDermott (CapitalKeyLeader@gmail.com)  

Our spring 2010 weekend will be April 23-25, at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center, in Millersville, Maryland. Registration is available online for this event and there are only 11 students slots left for this amazing program (as of 3/29/10). Please visit www.key-leader.org and click on Registration Information on the left side. Then find our event listing and click Register. Follow all prompts to register. Registration is complete only when a screen shows at the end that says something to the effect of 'Thank you for registering - registration now complete.'   If you have a student or more to register, please do so as soon as possible.

Last year, many people were disappointed because we sold out and they were shut out. We do not want this to happen again this year, which is why we've been promoting registration since January. While 11 slots sounds like a lot, we anticipate a sell-out again. We will max out with 80 students plus an additional 10 students who will serve as student facilitators.

The cost to attend Key leader is $200.00 per student if not in Key Club or Builders Club. Thanks to the Kiwanis International Foundation, the cost is $175.00 for students in Key Club or Builders Club. Meals, lodging, t-shirt, participant manual and more are included in registration fee.

The spring Key Leader events are open to any current 8th-12th grade students (in or out of Key Club or Builders Club).

If you are attending Kiwanis International Convention in Las Vegas this June, you will have an opportunity to sign up and participate in a special Key Leader for Adults session. This is a day-long event where Kiwanians can experience the Key Leader program. If you are interested in learning more about the program, this is a great way to do it.  This will take place the day before International Convention starts on Wednesday, June 23, in Las Vegas, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The cost is $50/attendee.   For more information, see the Kiwanis International Convention registration form or call 1.800.KIWANIS and ask to speak to the convention staff to add it to your registration if you've already registered.

Key Leader is a leadership education weekend for high school students focusing on the concept of service leadership and five principles: integrity, growth, respect, community and excellence. The weekend is casual and includes hands-on exercises; writing and reflection activities; cooperative, team activities; physical challenges; risk-taking opportunities and more. Students arrive between 4-6 p.m. on Friday and depart between 11 a.m.-12 noon on Sunday.  All adult chaperones have undergone background checks, and the weekend is run by a professional facilitator who has successfully completed a training course on the curriculum and who brings experience working with young people.

For more information, please contact Capital District Key Leader Chair Nicole McDermott at CapitalKeyLeader@gmail.com or 703.917.8877. Search Capital District Key Leader on Facebook and become a fan! Visit www.youtube.com/CapitalKeyLeader and watch live student testimonials about the quality of the program.