Empowering Youth in Fergus Falls Through Key Club
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Community goes beyond just sharing a space. It means actively participating in the community’s growth and well-being. For students at Fergus Falls High School, this belief has been a great motivation. As part of a class assignment, the students began brainstorming ways to better the school and community. They developed the idea of a group of students, originally named Fergus Falls Community Service Society (FFCSS), who go into the community to do volunteer work. The students were then presented with the idea of starting a Key Club chapter right here in Fergus Falls.
What is Key Club?
Key Club is a student-led organization that encourages leadership through serving others. The organization encourages high school students to take initiative, build character, and make meaningful contributions to their communities by guiding and fostering leadership skills. The club offers the perfect platform for students to find their voices and become leaders. The organization supports thousands of chapters in 45 different countries. Having a chapter in Fergus Falls is a great opportunity to connect with the community and the thousands of other leaders across the United States and beyond.
Bringing Key Club to Fergus Falls
Students at Kennedy Secondary School, Nadia Carlson, Zoe Graham, and Belle Holland, noticed the need for community involvement and began brainstorming ways to encourage volunteer work in their community. As part of a school project, students presented their idea for a student-led community volunteer group. Superintendent Jeff Drake and members of the school board were invited to attend the presentation. Mr. Drake shared the idea with his Kiwanis group, which offered to support the idea by starting Key Club.
Fergus Falls had not had a Key Club chapter in many years, but thanks to encouragement and support from the Kiwanis, the club is now active again. The Fergus Falls Key Club has had over 50 students sign up and is working to improve student involvement around the town by offering students’ time to local causes, businesses, and nonprofits. “Key Club is a wonderful community within our school that has the opportunity to reach out further than our student body,” said Key Club President Nadia Carlson. “Each member is amazingly unique, and here to give back to our town of Fergus Falls.”
Fergus Falls Key Club Needs Your Support
Many of the Key Club leadership roles are currently filled by high school seniors. Younger students must feel supported by the community to take on these leadership roles. Local businesses can support the students by reaching out to any of the officers or even Superintendent Jeff Drake to share volunteer opportunities and ideas. Nonprofits can also utilize Key Club as a source of youth involvement.
Key Club has already had many organizations reach out for their assistance and helped the YMCA with its Halloween game, the United Way backpack meal program, and other small projects, such as picking up trash around town. The club is in the planning process for more civil community involvement.
If your organization is interested in connecting with the Key Club, please contact any of the chapter officers through the school.
Seniors in officer roles:
- Nadia Carlson, President
- Cierra Ochoa, Vice President
- Zoe Graham, Co-founder and Social Media Manager
- Evie Millard, Secretary
- Sailyr Hansen, Photographer
These students work as a team to brainstorm new opportunities and encourage more students to join and get involved. Key Club is a student-led organization that thrives when all members work as a team of leaders. Students are encouraged to use their voice, get involved by contributing ideas, and grow as leaders. Younger members will need to take over these roles in the future, so getting involved now to be an active part of the club is vital.
About the Author
Zoe Graham was West Central Initiative’s Fall 2025 Development Intern through Kennedy Secondary School. Zoe is a senior and one of the co-founders of the Fergus Falls Key Club chapter.
About Ashley Quam