The Cannon Falls High School Interact club is an extension of the local Rotary club for high school students focused on community service. High school students can join Interact starting freshman year. Interact is a club aimed at helping the school, local, and global community. The Interact club is advised by the high school art teacher Nicolette Hernke. This year, there are around 30 students involved in Interact, which is the biggest it has been in five years. Members participate in various activities throughout the year to make a positive impact on the community around them.
Interact members participate in ditch clean-ups, concessions, hosting the fall blood drive, making Thanksgiving meal baskets, and helping at the senior center. This year students also sold jewelry that women in Uganda made. The profits from the jewelry sales went towards funding to help build schools in Uganda. “Interact is important as it helps kids get involved in community service. It’s an easy way to find things that help your community for the better,” said Sara Auger, the President of Interact.
Students in Interact also host after-school workshops for elementary students in 1st through 3rd grade. This is the biggest activity the club does during the year. During the workshops, elementary students learn about different countries and cultures. The classes are hosted on the 3rd Thursday of the month through the winter. Each time, 25 1st through 3rd grade students are taught about a different country’s culture through crafts, games, and food tasting. This year, Interact selected England, Uganda, and Thailand for young students to learn about. “Interact is important because we are exposing children to different cultures giving them a greater understanding of the world they live in and what’s possible,” stated Kalie Campbell-Moline, a member of Interact. The workshops are extremely popular and fill up quickly after registration is posted.
Interact is a great opportunity for students to be more involved in the world around them while making a difference. Interact is one of the many student organizations in our school, but it is more than just our school trying to make a positive impact on the community around them. Around the world, there are 14,941 Interact clubs, 145 countries with Interact clubs, and 342,953 people involved in Interact. Interact is a club in our school that is making an impact in the community, but is also more than just our students going above and beyond.
