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About Interact

Interact is Rotary International's service club for young people ages 14-18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but Interact clubs are self-governing and self-supporting.

Club membership varies greatly. Clubs can be single-gender or mixed, as well as large and small. The membership base can be drawn from the student body of a single school or from two or more schools from the same community.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through projects, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs. And, in the process, Interactors develop leadership skills and learn the value of hard work.

As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 8,600 Interact clubs in some 110 countries and geographical areas, Interact has become a worldwide phenomenon.

Interactors also often spearhead the formation of Rotaract clubs and participate in Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). Interactors also often go on to become Youth Exchange students or Ambassadorial Scholars.

For more information about Interact in your area, contact your local Rotary club or your district Interact chair.

History

Interact, Rotary International's service club program for young adults at the secondary school level, was officially inaugurated on 28 October 1962. The foundation of Interact marked a new approach to youth service for Rotary. For the first time, Rotarians were not just serving youth, but were empowering them to serve in their communities and internationally with their Rotary club sponsors.

Rotary service to youth dates back as early as 1917, when a committee was appointed to study youth service. Two years later, a department dedicated to "Boys' Work" was established and in 1920, the Rotary Club of New York organized Boys' Week, an annual celebration that encouraged patriotism and loyal citizenship in its young participants. The movement caught on as Rotary clubs sponsored Boys' Weeks across the United States and abroad. Thirteen years later, the program was officially renamed Youth Week in order to incorporate girls. Although such activities engaged Rotarians in service to youth, many club members around the world began to feel that something else could be done to actively engage young adults in service to their communities.

One of the earliest predecessors to Interact was known as the Ro Club, a service club for high school students.

One of the earliest predecessors to Interact was known as the Ro Club, a service club for high school students. Ro clubs' goals and projects were very similar to those of today's Interact clubs. Yrator Clubs (Rotary spelled backward) for outstanding high school students also were active as early as 1934. Their efforts focused on community activities but did not incorporate the international element that is required of clubs today. In 1939, Pan-American Clubs for primary and secondary school students were proposed as a way to increase international understanding and goodwill. The clubs' purpose was to educate students throughout the Americas on the customs and cultures of other countries in the Western Hemisphere. However, without the official endorsement of Rotary International, the movement eventually fizzled out.

Throughout the 1940s, Rotarians continued to serve the children and young adults in their communities by sponsoring the efforts of other organizations. Yet, feeling the need to actively engage youth in community service, Rotary clubs around the world soon began forming youth service clubs based on the ideals, principles, and organization of their own clubs. The Rotary Club of Miami, Fla., USA, sponsored the most influential of these movements, known as Wheel clubs. Although Wheel clubs were not adopted as an official Rotary program, the RI Board decided to research the feasibility of creating a youth service organization for adoption by all Rotary clubs.

Before the end of his term in 1960, then-RI President Harold T. Thomas appointed an Ad Hoc Committee on Youth to study the implementation of youth service clubs. The group studied preexisting youth clubs and consulted with Rotarians, educators, teenagers, and sociologists. Committee Chairman Charles H. Taylor of Christchurch, New Zealand, played the greatest role in the creation and approval of the program through his insight, leadership, and extensive research. The program was named Interact, a combination of the words "international" and "action."

On 5 November 1962, within eight days of the official adoption of the Interact program, the first Interact club was chartered at Melbourne High School, Fla., USA. The club's 39 members reflected the universal criteria that all Interactors be male and in the last three years of secondary school. Within one year there were 177 Interact clubs in 24 countries; by October 1964 that number had grown to 450 clubs in 35 countries. Within a few years, Interact began to take on its present form. In 1967, the RI Board opened membership to female members, preceding the admission of females to Rotary clubs by 20 years. During the same year, Interact membership was extended to any student in the last four years of secondary school.

From 1967 to 1978, The Rotary Foundation of RI sponsored "Rotary International Awards for International Understanding" for Interactors. Recognition was awarded to Interact clubs that undertook projects that improved international understanding and goodwill. Youth Exchange participation, visits to foreign Interact clubs, and projects that aided developing countries were among the most common projects recognized.

Since 1999, recognition for Interact clubs has continued in the form of World Interact Week, which is celebrated every year during the week of 5 November to commemorate the founding of the first Interact club. During World Interact Week, Interactors and Rotarians are encouraged to work together on a variety of service projects. Upon completion of these projects, clubs are recognized with a special pin and letter from the RI president.

Interact continues to experience phenomenal growth. The United States, India, Brazil, and Japan boast the highest number of Interact clubs. Interactors also frequently join with other local and international organizations in the name of service. Working together, Interactors and Rotarians continue to show that they are ready for "international action."

Program Guidelines

The following are the basic policies and procedures that govern the Interact program. More detailed information about program guidelines can be found in the Statement of Policy Relating to Interact and the Standard Interact Club Constitution and Club By-laws, which are available for download.

• Each Interact club must perform at least two service projects a year — one that benefits the school or community and one that furthers international understanding.

• Each Interact club must have a Rotarian advisor who is a member of the sponsoring Rotary club. This resource person must attend Interact club and board meetings and provide advice on organizing service projects, fundraising, and club administration. The Rotarian advisor also acts as a liaison between the Interact club and the sponsoring Rotary club.

• An Interact club can be school-based or community-based. A community-based Interact club may draw members from several different schools within the territorial limits of the sponsoring Rotary club. The Rotarian advisor must attend every meeting of a community-based club. A school-based club is subject to the policies and regulations governing all other organizations of that particular school. In most instances, a faculty counselor — who may or may not be a Rotarian — is appointed to work with the Interactors. In the case of a school-based club, the Rotarian advisor is only required to attend the Interact club's board meetings.

• The Interact constitution requires clubs to meet at least twice a month. To remain eligible for membership, Interactors must attend 60 percent or more of regularly scheduled meetings.

• Interact clubs are self-supporting organizations that require little or no financial support from the sponsoring Rotary club.

• Dues, if any, should be minimal; money for projects and activities should be raised through club activities.

• Each Interact club must submit an Incoming Officer Data Form and an Interact Project Data Form to RI annually. Download forms.

• An Interact club is not allowed to merge with any other organization.

Frequently Asked Questions

I am interested in joining Interact but I am only 13 years old. I heard one has to be 14 to belong to an Interact club, is this true?
Interact is a service club for young people made up of members age 14-18 or secondary-school age. If the club you wish to join is school-based, it must accept and abide by the rules your school establishes regarding membership. Therefore, all secondary-school students are eligible to become Interactors.

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Why should our Rotary club sponsor an Interact club?
Organizing an Interact club is one of the most rewarding activities a Rotary club can undertake in its community. The Interact program gives Rotarians the opportunity to mentor dynamic young men and women who want to provide service in their communities and in the global community. Rotarians serve as resources for Interactors who will become tomorrow's parents, business professionals, and community leaders. In turn, an Interact club can bring new energy to a Rotary club, inspire fresh ideas for service, increase support to projects, and spread knowledge of Rotary into other sectors of the community. Interactors, with the experience they have gained through this Rotary program, make exceptional future Rotaractors and later Rotarians.

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How do we make our Interact club "official?"
Once an Interact club has achieved a strong membership base, it must apply for a charter from Rotary International. Complete a Interact Organization List form (which should include contact information from the Interact club, signature of president of the sponsoring Rotary club, and signature of the district governor). Send the form to RI Headquarters or the RI International Office in your area. After Rotary International receives the completed form, an official charter certificate will be mailed to the president of the sponsoring Rotary club. You might consider planning a special ceremony or celebration to present the Interact charter certificate to the club.

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Are Interact clubs always based at secondary schools?
An Interact club can be school-based or community-based. A community-based Interact club may draw members from several different schools. The Rotarian advisor must attend every meeting of a community-based club. A school-based club is subject to the policies and regulations governing all other organizations of that particular school. In most instances, a faculty advisor — who may or may not be a Rotarian — is appointed to work with the Interactors. In the case of a school-based club, the Rotarian advisor is only required to attend the Interact club's board meetings.

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Do I have any financial obligations once I belong to an Interact club?
Dues, if any, should be minimal; money for projects and activities should be raised through club activities. However, inquire with your district chair as to any district dues that may be applicable in your area.

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How can I find out if there are any active Interact clubs in my area?
Contact your local Rotary club, district Interact chairperson, or RI staff for more information on the program in your area.

Do you have an Interact question? Ask RI staff.