Many clubs in the Kiwanis family have been meeting online since the start of the pandemic. It is always great to see friendly faces, but video calls can get boring — or downright monotonous — after such a long time.

Virtual Key Leader is a free PDF workbook now available for anyone. It is designed to engage more students in the Key Leader experience, particularly when many in-person Key Leader events have been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The workbook is divided into six “tracks,” each of which focuses on one of the Key Leader Principles. (Service Leadership, Integrity, Personal Growth, Respect, Community and Excellence)

Great for all ages, Virtual Key Leader makes a wonderful classroom or family activity. Here’s how to use this free digital workbook from Kiwanis International to shake up your club meetings:

 

1. Walk through the workbook.
Each of the six tracks contains three lessons, which often include a video, follow-up questions and optional activities for extended learning. These lessons serve as a great way to guide a conversation around community service, values, leadership and goal setting. Each lesson takes 10-20 minutes to complete.

Simply open the Virtual Key Leader workbook and use the “share screen” feature on video conferencing applications like Zoom, Teams or Skype. Once members can see your screen, you can watch the video together, and they can follow along and type answers into their own copy of the workbook. We often think we know all there is to know about topics like “Service Leadership,” but a refresher never hurts.

2. Assign lessons or tracks to be completed at home.
The lessons and activities in Virtual Key Leader can make for great discussions even if you do not have time to walk through them during your meeting. Just ask each of your members to register for Virtual Key Leader and download the workbook. Then assign a track or lesson to be completed prior to your next meeting. Ask participants to save their answers.

During your next meeting, ask members how they felt about the activities, what they learned about themselves or how this could help in your club’s work with youth. Encourage members with children or grandchildren to use Virtual Key Leader as an opportunity to bond and discuss important topics like values and setting goals with one another.

This is a great option for clubs with limited time. Your discussion can take as little or as much time as you need, and it offers a pleasant departure from the typical business meeting.

3. Incorporate mindfulness into your meetings.
Each of the six Virtual Key Leader tracks starts with a video focusing on mindfulness. These videos — led by Lisa Pyron at Kiwanis International — are themselves a great way to kick off a meeting.

Studies show that practicing mindfulness can reduce stress and anxiety. It allows for more focused conversations and adds a benefit to your meetings that members might otherwise not experience in their day-to-day lives.

Whether it’s a simple listening exercise or a nature walk to inspire some “awe,” incorporating a mindfulness exercise into your meetings can help your club be more productive.

 

You can register for Virtual Key Leader and receive your free workbook at kiwanis.org/virtualkeyleader.

How has Virtual Key Leader enhanced the member experience for your club? Let us know on social media.