Be a successful K-Kids advisor.
Adult advisors are the guides and mentors for K-Kids members and officers. They encourage, train and support students as they carry out club activities. Most K-Kids clubs have both a faculty advisor and a Kiwanis advisor. Understanding advisors’ roles is important to the club’s success. Read on below to understand advisors’ roles — and learn about advisors’ responsibilities in the K-Kids Advisor Guide.
Faculty advisor
Each K-Kids club has a faculty advisor who is the primary adult responsible for guiding the students in the club. They are chosen from the faculty, staff or administration of the school, organization or other host site. The faculty advisor knows the students and is familiar with the site’s procedures and policies. They are the liaison between the K-Kids club, Kiwanis advisor and the host site’s administrators. When an employee of the host site is not available, a parent/guardian or Kiwanis advisor can serve as the faculty advisor with the approval of the administration.
Kiwanis advisor
The Kiwanis advisor’s role is to support the K-Kids club’s activities. They are appointed by the sponsoring Kiwanis club and serve as its liaison and main volunteer to the K-Kids club.
Their responsibilities vary and can include:
Inviting the K-Kids to participate in the Kiwanis club’s service events and for officers to present at Kiwanis club meetings or during the Kiwanis district’s convention.
Inviting the Kiwanis club to support K-Kids service projects with volunteers, donations or promotion in the community.
Helping the K-Kids make connections with community organizations.
Assisting with specific tasks (such as, the installation ceremony or officer training).
Also, Kiwanis advisors are required to follow Youth Protection Guidelines. These include clearing a background check with Kiwanis International and completing Praesidium youth protection courses every two years.
Advisor events (2024-25)
Register for upcoming advisor virtual events or watch recordings of past events.
January 21, 2025, Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET. Register for K-Kids Advisor Chat: Awards, growth and celebration. Get tips on participating in awards and contests and how to complete the annual achievement report. Share advice with other advisors about recruiting members and celebrating club and member accomplishments!
September 27, 2024. Watch the Global Kickoff 2024 recording. And watch this year’s Global Service Project: Make your community healthy video to learn how to carry out a health and wellness campaign in your school or community.
September 17, 2024. Watch the recording of K-Kids Advisor Chat: Starting strong: An advisor’s checklist. Download and print the K-Kids Advisor Checklist shared at the chat.
Surveys for K-Kids members and advisors
Advisor and member feedback about club experiences is important to the improvement of resources and support offered by Kiwanis International Please plan to have your club participate in surveys at the beginning and end of the year! They take 6–8 minutes to complete. Clubs and advisors that participate have a chance to receive a US$25 Amazon gift card.
Member Survey Open September 1-30: The K-Kids member beginning-of-year survey is open September 1–30.
End-of-year Advisor and Member Surveys: The K-Kids advisor end-of-year survey and K-Kids member end-of-year survey is open April 1 – May 15.