Interact - District 7210

Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 12 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting.

As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 13,000 clubs in 138 countries and geographical areas, Interact has become a worldwide phenomenon. Almost 300,000 young people are involved in Interact. District 7210 currently has 42 Interact Clubs throughout the communities and high schools in the Hudson Valley.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of:

Developing leadership skills and personal integrity
Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others
Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work
Advancing international understanding and goodwill

If you have any questions or are interested in joining an Interact Club,please contact your local Rotary Club or one of the Interact Team Members listed on the right side of this page.

Rhinebeck Astor Home for Children

Interact Play Dates with Astor Home for Children

For two years, the Rhinebeck Interact Club has been participating with the local Astor Home for Children in Rhinebeck. They’ve had student volunteers from the club go spend time with the kids and have fun activity festivals. Often, the festivals are seasonally themed, from dress up for Halloween and decorating cookies in the winter to spring time flower planting and outdoor games.

This year, Astor was Rhinebeck’s top priority in terms of local projects. Astor Play dates were organized by co presidents Rachel Dull and Sarah Wood and were attended by 15-40 club members and 20-40 Astor students at a time. Our biggest play date was in the Fall where we had 40 Interacters and activities like face painting, obstacle courses, and a photo booth!

In July 2019, Interact had another Astor Play date with twelve volunteers and 20 kids. We have plans to continue these play dates next year, making them more routine and having lots of new and exciting activities.

Rhinebeck Interact Club

Interact Starts Student Run Drives for Local Projects

This past year, the Rhinebeck Interact Club hit the ground running after a successful summer, starting off the in the fall with several projects on the agenda. Over the summer students participated in an Astor Play Date: an activity fest with the students at Rhinebeck’s Astor Home for Children; and our biggest local project: MadDash. Led by club treasurer Charlie Derbyshire, co-president Rachel Dull, and three year member Katie Hall, the club ran the local marathon that the Church of the Messiah previously ran for several years. With the club’s energy on an all time high, students were already excited for a packed fall schedule.

In our first meeting the club made a list of all the projects and ideas they wanted to accomplish that year, and the following meeting began to plan them. A new concept Interact tried this year was not dissimilar to Rotary’s “committees.” Students volunteered to chair the projects on the idea-list and work on them throughout the year, some of the projects included a clothing drive, book drive, food drive, feminine hygiene product drive, and a childhood cancer research fundraiser.

Each drive was run by teams of one underclassman and one upperclassman in collaboration with the rest of the club and the school district. Throughout the year, the project chairs planed the drives, set up boxes around the school, and reported on the progress of their projects (all of which were very successful).