Gimli High School’s Kiwanis-led Key Club continues to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote initiatives to help protect the ecosystem.
The Key Club hosted a water conference on May 30 at the Gimli Yacht Club and invited Key Clubs from Winnipeg high schools to join them.
The event included presentations from students and scientific research on the Namao vessel with Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium staff.
“This year’s theme was water, a continuation from last year’s conference,” said Kiwanis Club of Gimli & District Key Club advisor Frances Petrowski. “River East Collegiate and Vincent Massey Collegiate joined GHS for a full day of connecting, networking and sharing ideas. Twenty-three students, along with teacher advisors, were very fortunate to go on the Namao research vessel and do some water testing with Dr. Karen Scott.”
Key Club’s are student-led clubs that provide members with opportunities to develop and share leadership skills, build personal character and provide service to a community. GHS’ Key Club is led by Petrowski and teacher advisor Jasmine Schumack.
The GHS and Winnipeg Key Clubs participated in student-led ice-breakers and then shared information about what each club was doing in their respective schools and local community, said Petrowski.
“The students, who began the day as strangers, instantly connected with each other as they shared their ideas and inspired each other to continue to be amazing leaders that serve their community,” she said. “It was a very successful conference”
One of the GHS Key Club students said hosting the conference was a valuable learning experience.
“Getting to host our own Key Club Conference here in Gimli was such a valuable and meaningful learning experience. We not only got to learn how to organize and run a conference full of activities, [deal with] sudden weather changes and quick adjustments to plans, but we also got to collaborate with other Key Clubs in our province and learn about all the amazing things they are doing in their communities,” said the student. “I’m so grateful to have been given this incredible opportunity and I gained so many valuable skills as a leader.”
For its community service project, the GHS club had planned to clean up the Gimli shoreline, but had to abandon that when the weather failed to cooperate.
“Instead, we wrote letters to our different levels of government regarding our concern of the state of Lake Winnipeg and inquired what was being done to try to help,” said Petrowski.
For more information on Kiwanis school clubs, contact the Kiwanis Club of Gimli & District through its Facebook page.
Express Photos Courtesy of Frances Petrowski
