The Kiwanis Club of Grand Cayman held their 7th annual Key Leader event October 17th through 19th at the St. Ignatius campus. Fifty students, including five from Cayman Brac, both male and female ranging in age from 13 to 18 years, participated in this important leadership training. Six past Key Leader attendees served as Student Facilitators, guiding their assigned “neighborhood” and in the process enhancing their own personal growth.

Key Leader weekend assists teenagers to develop their leadership and team-building skills. The program is run annually in Grand Cayman and is open to all teenagers whether or not they are Key Club members. Participants are taught the five principles of service leadership: personal integrity, personal growth, respect for yourself and others, building community and the pursuit of excellence.

This event is offered to interested students for a commitment fee of only $25. The balance of funding for this program comes from the generous sponsorship of Cayman’s business community. In particular, this 2014 event would not have been possible without the help of our sponsors: PwC, Stepping Stones, St. Ignatius, Casanovas, The Marriott, The Security Centre and Reliable Industries.

This year the Kiwanis Club recruited Greg Long from Ohio as the Lead Facilitator representing Kiwanis International. He leads several Key Leader programs each year throughout the US and Canada. Assisting Mr. Long as Site Coordinator was local Kiwanian, Kadi Merren-Pentney.

Mrs. Merren-Pentney notes: “This is my fourth year assisting with the Key Leader event. Every year I walk away with a new understanding of the leadership potential in all of these students. It’s amazing to see their growth from when they arrive on Friday to when they leave on Sunday.”

And she adds: “I am happy that Kiwanis and our local sponsors continue to see the importance of this Key Leader event. I am honoured to be a part of something that is so positive and uplifting for Cayman’s youth. I look forward to the continued success of this program!”

For more information on the Kiwanis Club and its projects visit www.kiwanis.ky or email [email protected].

Photo captions: Students and volunteers from Key Leader weekend