Thank you to K-Kids advisors who completed – and had their members complete – end-of-year surveys last April and May!

Here’s what students responding to the survey taught us about their experiences in K-Kids. (Members were able to select all items that applied for the questions related to numbers 1-4)

  1. What members learned:
    • Needs in their community or the world (77%)
    • How to help other members (74%)
    • Seeing from another person’s point of view (56%)
  2. Skills members gained:
    • Teamwork (87%)
    • Confidence (71%)
    • Improved communication and listening skills (68%)
  3. Community needs or issues members care most about:
    • Kindness (83%)
    • Care for the elderly (71%)
    • Hunger and homelessness (69%)
  4. Main challenges that prevent other students from joining K-Kids:
    • Time (45%)
    • Could not think of any challenges (26%)
    • Other students don’t understand that K-Kids is about doing service and being a leader (23%)
  5. Ways K-Kids clubs could be improved:
    • None of the above. The club runs well. (56%)
    • More service projects about issues students care about (24%)
    • More money for service projects and club activities (14%)
  6. When asked how they had grown by being in K-Kids, members’ answers ranged from personal development to confidence to community benefit. Among their answers:
    • “I learned that including others will make me a better friend and I’ve also learned that I can care a lot more for others than I did before.”
    • “Being more confident and proud of myself.”
    • “Being more open-minded about things and helping others.”
    • “I have learned how to be a leader in my school.”
    • “I have learned teamwork and how to be of service to others.”
    • I learned how to help the community and what to help with.”
    • “K-Kids has helped me step into other people’s shoes. It has helped me care for others.”
    • “I have learned how to help others and to think critically about things and my community.”
    • “I have grown by being in K-Kids by learning what the community needs and what I am great at that can help those in need.”
    • “I gained skills in building interpersonal relationships, helping classmates, supporting other students and assisting teachers.”
    • “I have gotten mature and it makes me feel ready for middle school.”
  7. Members were also asked how their school/organization and community benefit from their K-Kids club. Here are some responses they shared.
    • “It helps the school be a better place. It teaches us to be a better person.”
    • “We help our community and we make a place where everyone can help.”
    • “It makes it better because all of us work together to help our environment and citizens.”
    • “Our school and community benefit from what we do. We help provide food and clothes for people, which helps a lot. We also helped clean up the school for all the students and teachers.”
    • “Our K-Kids club benefits our school and community by encouraging students to help others through service projects, teamwork and leadership. We participate in activities that support our school, such as helping teachers and organizing events, while also giving back to the community through donations, clean-up projects and volunteering. K-Kids helps students become responsible, caring leaders and creates a positive environment for everyone around us.”

Advisors also provided important insights into K-Kids club life, as well as resources and support available to clubs. Here is what we learned from advisors:

  1. Club size:
    • 21-35 members (36%)
    • 11-20 members (23%)
    • 36-50 members (16%)
  2. Meeting frequency:
    • Once a month (41%)
    • Twice a month (35%)
    • Every week (16%)
  3. Number of service projects:
    • 5 or more projects (52%)
    • 3-4 projects (28%)
    • 1-2 projects (19%)
  4. What members learned:
    • Needs of their community or the world (80%)
    • How to help other members (69%)
    • How to plan service projects (66%)
    • Notably, advisors’ top answers regarding what members learned were identical to members’ responses!
  5. Leadership opportunities:
    • Advisors reported their clubs had the following officer positions:
      • Presidents (86%)
      • Vice presidents (80%)
      • Secretaries (80%)
      • Treasurers (65%)
      • Sergeants-at-arms (12%)
    • Other interesting officer positions in clubs were historian, marketing director, grade level representatives, technology and PR officer, reporter, photographer, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer and chaplain. Nearly 12% of responding advisors reported they did not have officers in their cubs.

Advisors also shared the types of committees their K-Kids had:

  • Service Projects Committee (65%)
  • Fundraising Committee (27%)
  • Marketing Committee (10%)

Some advisors report not having committees or having them focused on activities, such as a pep rally committee, clean-up committee or book buddies committee.