Around the world, Maryville College alumni are invited to give back to communities during KT Global 2026
March 6, 2026
If Maryville College alumnus Kin Takahashi (1895) and his fellow Scots could dig clay from the campus hillside and fire 300,000 bricks to build Bartlett Hall, then surely their successors can devote a couple of hours to service in their own communities.
That spirit of giving back lies at the heart of KT Global, the College’s annual worldwide service initiative during which alumni organize and participate in volunteer projects throughout the month of April. In 2026, the program takes on additional significance as the Maryville College Alumni Association celebrates 150 years of alumni engagement, challenging Scots around the world to honor that legacy by committing 150 minutes — two-and-a-half hours — of service, wherever they live.
Such an objective reflects the vision behind KT Global, a global give-back effort in which Maryville College alumni take part in community initiatives designed to “connect through service to do good on the largest possible scale,” according to Jennifer Phillips Triplett ’07, director of Alumni Affairs. The program is organized by the Office of Alumni Affairs in partnership with the KT Global Taskforce of the MC Alumni Association.
“Our founder urged us to ‘do good on the largest possible scale,’ and what bigger scale can there be than a global one?” Triplett said. “In communities around the world, Scots will take part in projects during the month of April to commemorate the spirit of Kin Takahashi, whose name is synonymous with service in honor of the College. This year, as we celebrate 150 years of alumni engagement, we’re encouraging alumni to connect with one another through service by committing 150 minutes to making a difference in their communities.”
A native of Japan, Takahashi traveled to East Tennessee to attend Maryville College, where his dedication to the institution quickly became legendary. Determined to bring a YMCA chapter to campus, he helped lead a campus-wide effort in which students raised funds, organized labor and pressed some 300,000 bricks from clay dug from the ground where Bartlett Hall now stands.
Today, his name is attached to several traditions of service associated with the College, including KT Global. The initiative grew out of KT Days, an annual tradition in which alumni return to campus to invest “sweat equity” in improvement projects ranging from painting and landscaping to light construction and maintenance work.
KT Days — scheduled for June 9–11, 2026 — continues to foster camaraderie while benefiting the campus, but several years ago, members of the Maryville College Alumni Association board recognized that many alumni who wanted to participate in service efforts were unable to return to East Tennessee to take part. In response, they created KT Global, expanding the spirit of the tradition beyond campus and inviting alumni to organize service opportunities in their own hometowns.
Today, projects take place across the country and around the world throughout April. Alumni leaders organize volunteer events in their regions, while others choose projects of their own, often serving alongside friends, family members or fellow Scots in their local communities.
Several projects are already planned for 2026, including gardening and beautification efforts in Maryville, New York and Blountville, Tennessee. Additional opportunities allow alumni to contribute remotely. Volunteers can assist College archivist Amy Lundell ’06 in helping make Maryville College’s historical collections more accessible online, or support the Scots Supplies Closet, an on-campus resource that provides students free access to clothing, hygiene products and other essential items.
Co-chairs of the KT Global Taskforce are Ashleigh Oatts ’07 and Melissa Kiewiet ’14. Kiewiet, a leader in the TriState Scots alumni chapter in the Northeast, is helping coordinate a partnership with Good Shepherd Services to create a rooftop garden with residents at one of the organization’s Manhattan locations.
For those unable to participate in a physical service project, additional remote opportunities are also available. In addition, donors who contribute $25 or more can also be counted among this year’s KT Global volunteers.
“We realize that some of our Scots may not be able to take part in cleanups or hands-on projects, but they still want to serve,” Oatts said. “Creating opportunities where alumni can contribute in ways that work for them is important. It reflects a tradition that has always been part of Maryville College — finding ways to give of ourselves for the good of the communities where we live.”
Kiewiet added that the program continues to reflect the lasting impact of a Maryville education.
“After graduation, so many alumni find their vocation in service because of the influence of their time at Maryville College,” she said. “KT Global is another way to honor that influence by creating positive change in our own communities while representing the values of the College.”
Alumni interested in participating in KT Global 2026 can find project listings and registration information on the https://www.maryvillecollege.edu/alumni/events/kin-takahashi/global-2026/. Participants may also create their own service opportunities and log their volunteer time as part of the global effort.