About New Jersey Key Club

The New Jersey District of Key Club International is the eighth-largest district of the total 33 that make up Key Club International. Despite being one of the districts with a smaller geography since chartering in 1947, NJ Key Club has continued to grow over the years, amassing over 10,000 dedicated student-leaders in high schools spanning throughout the state. From the southern-most parts near Cape May, to the deep northern areas of Vernon, NJ Key Club is comprised of students with various backgrounds – we are proud to be so diverse and celebrate our leaders for their differences and individual strengths.

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Meet The District Board

How Do I Join Key Club in New Jersey?

For more information about chartering a club at your school, please visit the link below.

If you’re looking to join Key Club in New Jersey, then you’ve come to the right place! You’ll need to take a few simple steps to begin the journey.

First, you’ll want to check and see if your school has a club already – if yes, then all you have to do is show up and join!  To do this, please refer to our district directory. In there, you’ll be able to look up your club’s officers and reach out to ask about joining and attending future meetings. Key Club is an organization that prioritizes inclusiveness so if you have any questions about joining, your school officers and advisors are the perfect resource to find out if Key Club is right for you!

What To Do If Your School Doesn’t Have a Club

No need to worry, chartering a club is a fairly straightforward process. You’ll need the help of a few people to make this happen:

  • Fellow Students
  • School Administration
  • Sponsoring Kiwanis Club/Organization
  • New Jersey District key Club Officers
  • Club Chartering Team at Kiwanis International

Fellow Students:

You’ll need to recruit others to be in your school’s new Key Club. Once you have at least 15 members, that’s what we call Charter Strength, meaning you have the minimum amount of students to get your club together. We always suggest recruiting from all grade levels in order to make sure your club has longevity – last thing you want is for your club to die out if everyone who was in it graduates in a year.

School Administration

Your school needs to approve your club’s existence since it is an extension of your school’s extracurricular activities. Once you have enough interested students, we recommend you working with your school to secure a Key Club School Advisor and make sure you have any important paperwork or resources needed for new clubs in your school. Make sure you research and follow all appropriate procedures so you can give your club the best chance of getting approved. Once you have secured approval and an advisor, you can move on to the next step.

Find a Sponsoring Kiwanis Club

This is actually where we can help! Since Key Club is the high school branch of Kiwanis, that means you’re entitled to some extra support when it comes to getting your club up and running. A Sponsoring Kiwanis Club is meant to be assist your club with mentorship, service activities, and occasionally some financial assistance. Thanks to Kiwanis, key Club has continued to thrive for almost 100 years with no signs of slowing down. A Sponsoring Kiwanis Club usually is close to your school geographically. To find out which Kiwanis Clubs are in your area, click here or reach out to your Lieutenant Governor.

New Jersey District Key Club Officers

As state-elected officers, it’s our job to help YOU since we work for YOU! Throughout the process, a Lieutenant Governor (local representative) will work with you to make sure you hav everything you need to get your club moving. They are an excellent resource for questions and support through the chartering process.

Club Chartering Team at Kiwanis International

As mentioned earlier, Kiwanis is a massive, international organization that has access to tons of assets that are meant to help enrich your Key Club experience. Kiwanis has a team of dedicated chartering personnel that our district can connect you with once it’s time to launch your club!

Charter a Key Club

New Jersey Key Club District Map

FAQ's About New Jersey Key Club

What is the New Jersey Key Club District Project?

This year’s district project is focusing on Mental Health Services & Awareness. The project was selected by the New Jersey District Board after receiving member submissions at this year’s District Education Conference. To learn more about the district project, please visit this page.

This year’s advocacy focus is Medical Conditions and Services. To learn more about this year’s advocacy focus and how you can promote it, please visit this page.

New Jersey Key Club District dues are $7 per person, per year. This is in addition to Key Club International’s $10 per person per year as well, making total dues $17 per member per year. If you are looking to pay your club dues or to learn more about dues and why they matter. To learn more about paying dues, Click here.

New Jersey Key Club hosts several exciting events throughout the service year that are meant to enrich the lives of members and create excitement. Some events are: Fall Rally, District Education Conference, Regional Training Conferences, and more. To learn more about district events, visit our events tab.

Our beloved New Jersey District Key Club mascot is Gnomeo the Garden Gnome. As the garden state, it is fitting that we celebrate Gnomeo as our representative. 

The official publication of the New Jersey District of Key Club is The Jersey Key. It is published three times throughout the service year by the District Editor. It contains helpful information and news about Key Clubs in New Jersey.

To become a member of the New Jersey District Board of Key Club, students must be a dues-paid member of their home club and in good standing with service hours and responsibilities. Students can run for two different types of positions: Lieutenant Governor or Executive Officer. 

To charter a Key Club in New Jersey, you must: get school approval, have at least 15 members, have a faculty advisor, have a sponsoring Kiwanis, pay the $400 charter fee to Kiwanis International, submit dues for existing members, and perform service in your homes, schools, and communities! To learn more about how to charter a Key Club, click here.

Lieutenant Governors (LTGs) are regional representatives elected by delegates who attend only the schools in their division. They are responsible for working with the clubs in their division and being a liaisons for them to represent their interests at the district level. If you are interested in being a Lieutenant Governor for the 2025-2026 service year, please let your current Lieutenant Governor know. 

Executive Officers are state-elected officials that work with the entire state and are elected at the Annual District Education Conference. Officers include: Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, and Webmaster (appointed by Governor and District Administrator).