KT Global Wrap Up
Throughout the month of April 2023, the third annual KT Global service event brought together 360 Maryville College alumni and friends from across the country – and globe – in service in their own communities. The event, which started in 2021 as a a way to unite MC alumni worldwide in a single day of service, built upon the success of prior years by expanding to an entire month of service in 2023.
“This year’s KT Global event demonstrated the continued work of the KT Global Taskforce to scale the event by offering an extended time frame for volunteers to complete service projects. The task force has learned that flexibility is key – alumni project leaders now have the entire month available to plan a service project that best fits their volunteer group and needs of the organization or local community,” said Jennifer Triplett ’07, director of alumni affairs. “The extended time frame garnered new first-time projects that could be done over a week or even the full month, like collecting hygiene items for senior citizens and leading closet clean-outs to donate clothing, among others,” Triplett added. The KT Global task force, led by co-chairs Melissa Kiewiet ’14 and Stephani Richardson McCarty ’10, plans to continue the month-long model in 2024.
The 360 volunteers included MC alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and students. There were 42 projects in five countries and volunteers served 1,525 hours collectively. Projects included litter clean up events, gardening, assistance with the Maryville College Archives, a fundraising opportunity for school-aged students affected by the earthquakes in Turkey, and supporting non-profit agency events and fundraisers, among others. While many volunteers who participated in 2022 returned, new volunteers and new project leaders helped KT Global grow from 316 participants in 34 projects in three countries that year to the record participation of the 2023 event.
KT Global is inspired by KT Days, which was founded more than 25 years ago by Dan Greaser ’60 and a group of alumni as an annual event on campus. Every year, about 100 MC alumni from across the country travel to Maryville to donate to the College something other than money – their time. They stay in the residence halls, eat in the dining hall, and sign up for manual labor projects like pressure washing, painting, carpentry, masonry and landscaping. An initiative of the Maryville College Alumni Association, KT Global is an alumni-driven effort like KT Days that was started to provide enhanced opportunities for alumni engagement worldwide.
Named for Kin Takahashi, a student from Maryville College’s past, KT Days and KT Global celebrate the “can-do” spirit of a student who, during the 1890s, founded the College’s first football team and led a project to build Bartlett Hall on campus. Watch this video to learn more about Kin Takahashi and the legacy of service of the MC community, the led to the creation of KT Global.
KT Global was initially launched during Homecoming in October 2020 (watch the virtual launch event). KT Global 2023 was launched early in the year with a video highlighting the great work done during 2022 (and check out the 2021 highlight video!)
Stay tuned for plans for a KT Global volunteer reunion during Homecoming on Saturday, October 21, and watch for plans for KT Global 2024!
2023 PROJECTS
Maryville College alumni and friends from across the globe plan volunteered their time and talents throughout the month of April! Check out the photos and map below to learn more about all the projects accomplished.
Please email kt.global@maryvillecollege.edu to contact the KT Global taskforce with any feedback on the 2023 event, and to share additional photos and videos of your project.
Check out where in the world KT Global events happened:
To read more about an event, select the map pinpoint or select the square on the top left of the map to see a listing of the project locations and names. Each description includes the project leader and volunteer names along with accomplishments.