Plymouth Whitemarsh High School's Interact Club hosts other student clubs at first-ever symposium
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School's Interact Club hosts other student clubs at first-ever symposium
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School served as host to its first annual Interact Club Symposium, where students from around the area had a chance to meet and learn from each other about ways to serve the community.
The Interact Club is the high school version of the Rotary International, an organization that has chapters across the globe with volunteers who work to address community needs and organize service projects. Plymouth Whitemarsh High School’s club has been around for several years and has about 30 members. Adviser Devin Carosi said he suggested the idea for the symposium after experiencing one at another school.
“Once I became the advisor of the Interact Club at PW, I recognized the need for other Interact Clubs to come together with the same goals in mind. Thus, the Interact Symposium within Rotary District 7450 was born,” he said.
The Interact Club was able to host six other school districts for the event, thanks to a $450 grant from the Colonial School District Education Foundation. Students from Spring-Ford Area, Souderton Area, Bethlehem Area, Hatboro-Horsham, Lower Merion, and Daniel Boone school districts attended the symposium held May 31.
The student Interact Clubs had the chance to learn from adult Rotarians from all over the area who talked about the purpose of Rotary International and what it means to be an Interactor (high school level), a Rotaractor (university level), and a Rotarian (community member). Several workshops were available to all club members and were led by Rotarians (and even the Rotary District Governor) who have decades of experience.
The opportunity to collaborate with other students was a highlight of the event for Caleb Jeon, who is the Interact Club’s President.
“One of the most rewarding parts of the Interact Symposium was seeing students actively engage with the guest speakers. It was great to see them asking thoughtful questions, sharing their ideas, and really taking in the knowledge being shared,” he said. “The workshops sparked meaningful conversations, and informed students about what it means to give back to the community. It was also incredibly inspiring to see students from so many different schools come together in one space, all eager to learn about important causes and issues. That kind of energy and unity made the event feel even more impactful and gave a glimpse into the power of collaboration across communities.”
Interact Club Vice President Lorena Lopez said the symposium was a great way to share ideas.
“For example, Rotary told us we could package socks for homeless people in the winter, and I saw a lot of students writing the ideas down for their own clubs,” she said. “This symposium gave students the chance to share and expand ideas that will improve our clubs and communities.”
Mr. Carosi said that until the symposium gets too large to host at PW, the club will continue to organize it for the foreseeable future.
“Our club members have taken great pride in wanting to connect and collaborate with other high schools, and we've already begun to plan for next year's Symposium with a list of over 20 Interact Clubs that we will be inviting,” he said.
