This is Builders Week, the annual week-long recognition, awareness and celebration of the middle/junior high school arm of Kiwanis International that takes place the third full week of March. The faculty sponsors who lead Builders Clubs and their student members work together to help build brighter, better futures for people in their communities and beyond on project at a time.
Builders Club is the largest service organization for middle school and junior high students, with more than 45,000 members worldwide. The first Builders Club in the country was chartered in 1975. Today, there are more than 1,600 clubs throughout the United States and around the world.
The Builders Club is a “student-led” community service organization that operates under school regulations and draws its members from the student body. The club provides opportunities to develop leadership, improve self-esteem, increase civic engagement and learn life skills through service. This club empowers members to be themselves, work together with classmates and implement plans through action. Through Builders Club, students become leaders at school, in their community and in the world.
The Hamilton Heights Builders Club has a rich and proud history of service in northern Hamilton County dating back to 1994. This year is the school’s fourth year as an officially chartered club.
Kari Beery and Jessica Cantlon serve as the school’s Service Leadership Program sponsors. Beery, an eighth-grade English teacher, has worked at the middle school for a decade and has been the club sponsor for the past three years. Cantlon, the school counselor, is into her third year as the school counselor and faculty sponsor for the club. The club, which is comprised of close to 20 active members are involved in projects that benefit fellow students, school and community.
“Builders Club is a great way to create a sense of community, engage students and help them see through their good works how much of a difference they can make,” said Beery. “Many of our kids genuinely enjoy contributing their time and talents to help others.”
“Being in Builders Club allows students the opportunity to experience the pleasure of helping others through philanthropic opportunities,” added Cantlon. “It also allows them to learn the importance of service, which is important in a world where many young people struggle to focus on others at times.”
“I like everything about the club and the chance to help serve our school and community,” said Lola Wilson of the annual event hosted by the Cicero Club of Kiwanis in cooperation with Heights student leadership programs.
The Builders Club often collaborate on projects with the other club branches, K-Kids (Elementary School) and Key Club (High School) and their local Kiwanis Club. Once such project is the annual Veteran’s Breakfast in November.
“Our club members work to make a difference in small and large ways within their school and in the community,” said Beery. “Some of the projects with which our club members have been involved this past year include a Daily Food Rescue and Paper Brigade, Cicero Kiwanis Club Veteran’s Day Breakfast, Pumpkin Patch, Trunk or Treat and Christmas Lighting, to name a few.”
“We’re always looking for ways we can engage more students in this worthwhile club to learn the lifelong value of service leadership and contribute where and when we can, individually or as a group,” added Cantlon.
The Cicero Kiwanis Club sponsors the Builders Club, K-Kids and Key Club at Hamilton Heights.