From Local Service to Global Impact: UNICEF USA and Key Club International
Key Club International, the world’s largest student-led service organization in the U.S., has partnered with UNICEF USA to tackle health challenges, strengthen communities and help children around the world. UNICEF USA and Key Club have worked together on early childhood development (ECD) in Zambia, HIV-AIDS programs in Kenya, youth and child protection initiatives in Swaziland, adolescent health and education programs in Uruguay, and eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus in 49 of 59 high-risk countries. Club members have been committed participants in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF for three decades. Key Club is entirely driven by student voices, with strong support from Kiwanis International.
Two members of the Key Club International Board, Luna Alaowad and Grace Nelson, recently spoke with UNICEF USA President and CEO Michael J. Nyenhuis about how the club’s service model supports local and global volunteerism, the partnership’s real-world impact and why it’s important to include youth perspectives when creating solutions to the multiple challenges confronting children globally. The conversation has been edited and condensed.
Local and global volunteerism for the world’s pressing humanitarian needs
MICHAEL J. NYENHUIS: Out of all the things you could be involved in — and probably are — what stands out as special about Key Club?
LUNA ALAOWAD: My family comes from another country and has always valued community service, especially working with UNICEF. So, I was naturally drawn to Key Club in high school. Hearing how it helped students grow as leaders and give back inspired me. What truly made me fall in love was seeing the real impact — whether in my neighborhood or across the world. It feels like a second family.
MICHAEL J. NYENHUIS: Luna, you’re the Key Club International Vice President, and, Grace, you’re a Key Club International Trustee. How do you reach that level of leadership and what are your responsibilities?
GRACE NELSON: Trustees are elected by our peers at our annual convention. We represent and support Key Club International districts, acting as a bridge between the districts and Key Club International. The main responsibility is optimizing the organization’s operations. For example, I'm the Programs & Partners Committee chair, and we collaborate with organizations like UNICEF to empower students to make a global impact using their voices.
MICHAEL J. NYENHUIS: Key Club promotes volunteerism locally and internationally. Roughly, what is the balance between the two?
GRACE NELSON: Key Club truly is a family of youth united by a passion for service. Involvement begins with local volunteer projects. As an international organization, our outreach can look different depending on geography and community needs. Programs like the Youth Opportunities Fund, a grant program, support community-based service projects by drawing on global resources. Through partners like UNICEF, members can engage in worldwide efforts — such as serving as a UNICEF champion to connect and promote UNICEF within Key Club.
Decades of collective impact for children
MICHAEL J. NYENHUIS: It's rare to have a partnership that spans over 30 years, which alone makes this collaboration unique — two organizations consistently delivering impact for children. I view that impact in two ways: first, through the direct results of the projects we support around the world; and second, through the effect on your members, who gain a sense of purpose by contributing to those efforts. Both forms of impact are meaningful, and both benefit children.
LUNA ALAOWAD: One thing that draws members to UNICEF is seeing that impact firsthand — as with the current Start Strong: Zambia campaign, which expands access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs in community centers called Insakas. Key Club members want to help create brighter futures for children and working with UNICEF USA makes that possible.
MICHAEL J. NYENHUIS: In many countries, Zambia included, rural and low-resource families often lack quality preschool or daycare. Ample data show that quality early education — not just babysitting — gives children a strong start in school. The ECD centers accomplish this by supporting children and training parents to engage in learning at home.
Sweetening success: Key Club and Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
This October, UNICEF USA will celebrate 75 years of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Key Club has participated in the program since 1994.
LUNA ALAOWAD:: Why have so many Americans gotten involved with Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF over its long history?
MICHAEL J. NYENHUIS: I'll start with my personal experience. Growing up in Minnesota, I lived in a community with little diversity and few connections to the outside world. Participating in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF made me aware that children around the world lacked what I had — and that I could help. It opened my mind to a bigger world, to different circumstances and to the idea that I could do something about it.
Over the past three years, we’ve been revising the program to make an even greater impact. Key Club’s role as our longest-standing partner on Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF means a lot. I believe members will look back decades from now and still find it a meaningful touchpoint.
LUNA ALAOWAD:: Can you talk about why it's important for youth organizations like Key Club to dive into philanthropic efforts just like this?
MICHAEL J. NYENHUIS: Teaching children and young people philanthropy early helps it become a lifelong habit. That's what I love about Key Club. Despite high school’s demands — social pressures, activities, college plans — you empower peers to think beyond themselves, volunteer locally and connect globally through UNICEF.
Youth voices influence and amplify humanitarian work
GRACE NELSON: Our generation brings different perspectives and passions to our actions. Knowing that our voices are heard and valued by other generations motivates us to continue making a difference now and in the future.
LUNA ALAOWAD: “Getting our hands dirty,” so to speak, shows adults that children can make a difference and shows our peers that you don’t have to be in Key Club or hold a leadership position to help. Supporting children and young people globally is a privilege we’re lucky to have. It’s not limited to young people in Key Club. We all have opportunities and purpose, and it’s important to use these gifts to help others who have fewer resources.
GRACE NELSON: We always joke about Gen Z being on their phones and social media, but that also means we're more connected to the world around us.
MICHAEL J. NYENHUIS: UNICEF USA creates opportunities for young people to be heard in Washington, D.C., in New York, at the United Nations, and beyond. We have a National Youth Council, and, last year, three of its members served as mentors to me. We met monthly, and I'd share my work and challenges, and ask for their perspective. It was a fantastic opportunity to hear how they and their peers view current issues.
Key Club’s work, including Trick-or-Treat, gives youth a powerful platform to practice giving — building empathy and inspiring your peers to donate time, talent and resources. Thank you for showing UNICEF and the world that it is possible for young people to build a better world for children.
Learn more about Key Club and Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF and Add Some Meaning to Your Halloweening®!
UNICEF does not endorse any brand, company, organization, product or service.
Luna Alaowad serves as the 2025-26 Vice President of Key Club International and is a rising senior. She has been a two-time district UNICEF Champion, a member of the Key Club translations and DEI task forces and its Michigan District treasurer.
Grace Nelson is a high school senior and Key Club International Trustee, serving as chair of Key Club’s Programs & Partners committee and working directly with UNICEF USA. She works with the UN initiative Girl-Up on the Midwest Coalition and was appointed a UNICEF Champion in 2024.
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
