Key Club may not have anything to do with actual keys, but it can unlock so many opportunities to help the community and meet new people.
Mrs. Dilts is a math teacher here at Fondy High and has been teaching for five years. Just this school year, she’s taken up the role of Key Club advisor. Key Club was in need of a new leader, and Mrs. Dilts stepped up.
Key Club (Kiwanis Educates Youth) is a volunteer organization with a main goal of giving back to the community. Dilts’ job as the advisor is to communicate events to student members so they can volunteer.
“I had no intention of running Key Club this year when the school year started,” Dilts said. “When I found out there was no Key Club advisor, I knew I had to step up and get out of my comfort zone to keep the club alive. The club attracts so many amazing students with good hearts and I didn’t want to see it fall apart just because there wasn’t an advisor for this school year.”
Along with teaching, there has been lots of learning going on for Mrs. Dilts. “The most challenging thing so far has been learning how to be the advisor,” she said. “I had no idea what Key Club was until last year, so I have been learning and adapting a lot to keep the club running for the 23-24 school year.”
She says running the club doesn’t keep her too busy, it just seems like a lot of work since she’s new to the role. She does have some experience with the club, though. Last year, she helped out occasionally with sending out event reminders for Key Club students to sign up for.
“The most enjoyable thing is working with all the kind students with big hearts,” she said. “The Key Club officers have shown me nothing but grace and understanding. They have all been so helpful getting Key Club started for the school year.” Even though the challenges have been tough, she’s enjoyed working with the students.
Key Club is not only a way to give back to the community, but also a way to gain and track volunteering hours for college applications and scholarships. It offers many volunteer opportunities that are structured so students have the flexibility to choose events that fit their schedule. Key Club meets the first Friday of each month in the LGI before school.
Dilts also has advice for people who are unsure about joining Key Club. “What’s the harm in trying it out?” she said. “It certainly can’t hurt you or your community!”
