Workshops

2026 FORUMS & Workshops

Time	Forum	Presenter		Forum Information	Room
1:00 – 1:55	Partnership Opportunities Through the Kiwanis Children’s Fund		DG Mel Clark	DG Mell Clark will show you how to obtain grants for your club projects.
	Marketing Kiwanis in the Digital Age		Jarrod Goldsmith	Marketing Kiwanis in the Digital Age explores how clubs can use social media to increase visibility, engagement, and membership in today’s digital-first world. Presented by Jarrod Goldsmith of the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa, this session shows how platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can tell the Kiwanis story, showcase impact, and invite new people into the organization. Using Kiwanis Socials as a case study, participants will learn practical ways to create engaging content, promote events, and follow up digitally. Attendees will leave with simple, actionable strategies to market Kiwanis authentically, empower members as digital ambassadors, and support sustainable club growth.
	Level-Up with the Power of AI to Maximize our Impact		Ross Brezovar	Discover how AI—specifically ChatGPT—can help Kiwanis leaders work smarter, save time, and increase their impact. This hands-on workshop will introduce simple, role-specific tools that support meeting management, leadership readiness, and fundraising. Participants are encouraged to bring a tablet or laptop to follow along and leave with practical skills they can use right away.
2:00 – 2:55	Building Your Club’s Revenue Pipeline		Chandra Ferguson	Strong service requires strong funding. In this engaging, collaborative session, participants will learn how to build a revenue pipeline that supports consistent impact—not just one-time events. Expect practical exercises, peer learning, and take-home ideas to help your club thrive.
	Re-Imagine Your Kiwanis Experience – Let’s Talk Build, Nurture, Retain		Emily Sharp-Saalfrank and Stephan Rampair	Membership success isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s personal. This workshop offers a prescription-style approach to strengthening your club, with a clear focus on what matters most: nurturing connections and retaining engaged members, while still building with intention. Participants will explore a membership toolbox filled with adaptable strategies they can tailor to their club’s unique needs, culture, and capacity. You’ll leave feeling empowered, energized, and confident, with clear next steps to create a membership experience where people feel valued, connected, and excited to stay.
3:00-3:55	The art of Effective Leadership		Rochelle Cameron	This Forum explores what it truly means to lead in today’s complex and fast changing world. Participants can expect practical insights into leading with clarity, confidence, and purpose, alongside strategies for making sound decisions under pressure, communicating with impact, and inspiring trust across teams. The session blends real world examples with reflective moments, leaving leaders better equipped to influence, adapt, and lead people forward, especially in times of uncertainty.

Time	Forum	Presenter		Forum Information	Room
8:30 – 9:25	Youth Protection Guidelines & Background Checks – Getting to Know the Facts		Beverley Thompson	This forum is your opportunity to keep abreast of guidelines in relation to interacting with our Service Leadership programme members and also get direct answers to frequently asked questions about background checks. Your participation is key to maintaining a safe environment for all Kiwanis youth members.
	Re-Imagine Your Kiwanis Experience – Let’s Talk Build, Nurture, Retain		Emily Sharp-Saalfrank and Stephan Rampair	Membership success isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s personal. This workshop offers a prescription-style approach to strengthening your club, with a clear focus on what matters most: nurturing connections and retaining engaged members, while still building with intention. Participants will explore a membership toolbox filled with adaptable strategies they can tailor to their club’s unique needs, culture, and capacity. You’ll leave feeling empowered, energized, and confident, with clear next steps to create a membership experience where people feel valued, connected, and excited to stay.
	Expanding our Impact with The Kiwanis Foundation of Canada		PG Chuck McIlravey and PLG Debbie Button
9:30 – 10:25	Kiwanis EC&C Culture Fusion – Leveraging Our Diversity to Serve Humanity		Carolyn McDonald-Riley, Kerry-Ann Watkis, and Patrick Melchiors	This will be a fun-filled engaging session targeting all Convention attendees. You will learn about and experience the rich cultural diversity within our District. Also, explore how blending our different cultural values, ideas, and practices can enrich our service experience. So, come prepared to embrace each unique voice, to amplify our humanitarian impact.
	Service Leadership Programme Conference – Unlocking the Key to Retaining our Youth		Hugh Simmonds	This conference addresses the critical challenge of engaging young people in service leadership programs through practical, evidence-based strategies. Participants will gain insights into youth engagement strategies and methods for creating environments where young leaders feel heard, valued and engaged. Participants will also actively assess, analyze and create action-oriented strategies to achieve increased engagement with our youth leaders.
	Achieving Club Excellence through Masterful Communication		Marcel Gibson	Participants will first explore what effective communication means, emphasizing clarity, active listening, respect, and consistency of message. The session will then examine real-life examples of poor communication from club leaders and contrast these with examples of effective communication. Finally, the session will highlight how precision, clarity and consistency in communication is a key driver of collaboration, conflict resolution, and sustained success.