BILLINGS — High school students from across Montana gathered in Billings this week for the annual Key Club district convention, combining leadership training with community service projects.
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The student-led organization, which includes more than 1,000 members across 38 clubs statewide, brought together 88 students and 25 adult advisors from 19 clubs at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center on Monday.
As part of the convention, attendees participated in a series of service projects, assembling more than 400 sandwiches, weaving sleeping mats from recycled plastic bags, and preparing care packages for people experiencing homelessness. The completed items will be distributed to local nonprofit organizations in Billings.
The service event was supported in part by JustServe, a platform that connects volunteers with community needs. Students said the projects highlight the impact of collective effort, even through small acts.
"I find it very important because it feels like a place where I can really benefit my community in small and large ways," said Justin Mills, a senior at Gallatin High School in Bozeman.
Fellow senior Logan Haynes said the experience reinforces how incremental contributions can add up.
“When we get lots of people to just do the little things, it makes a big difference in communities and the world at large," he said.
Beyond the immediate service, Valerie Pachl, district co-administrator for the Montana District of Key Club and advisor in Miles City, said the convention helps students build leadership and teamwork skills by working alongside peers from across the state.
“Leadership skills, I feel, is the biggest thing. Communication skills," said Pachl. "They're complete strangers, but they're working hand in hand together to complete a task, team building, I mean, it's just amazing, and it's a good feeling when you do something for somebody else.”
In addition to service activities, the convention includes recognition of clubs and members for their work throughout the year, as well as scholarship opportunities for graduating seniors.
Organizers said the event encourages students to carry a commitment to service into college and adulthood, and many left feeling proud of their work.
"They come here, they do the project, and they realize just how impactful it is, and they want to come back for more," said Pachl. "Then they continue it when they go to college, and in the hopes that when they become adults outside of college, they continue to keep giving back to their communities.”
“It's kind of a warm feeling in both my stomach and my chest and also my heart after we do these projects and stuff. It just really makes you feel good, especially in the heart," said Haynes.
