Mt. Shasta High School Interact Program

Mt Shasta High School Interact Club

Nurturing Young Leaders.

Interact is a Rotary-sponsored youth group for high school students. The Mt Shasta High School Interact Club averages 30 to 45 members each year and is one of the largest Interact Clubs in California. In 133 countries around the world, there are over 12,300 Interact.Interact inspires youth to leadership and engagement in the community and abroad through a combination of education and service projects. The motto for Interact is "Service above Self," which guides club activities.

Local ongoing Interact service projects include trash clean ups, invasive weed pulling, serving at the Thanksgiving meal for those in need, support for Rotary fundraising projects like the Mt. Shasta Blackberry Music Festival. Interact meets once a week at lunch time on Thursdays at Mt Shasta High School. Interact has been involved in both local service and international service projects. International projects include the Million Lights Project, which brought solar lamps to underdeveloped countries, and the Polio Plus Project, which inspires the Rotary commitment to end polio in our lifetime.

In April of 2024, Mt. Shasta High School Rotary Interact Club spent a week volunteering at an orphanage in Mexico. They spent the week helping with various projects around the orphanage while the children were at school and then were able to spend the afternoon and dinnertime with the kiddos. They helped paint, fix fences, create a sandy play area and lay concrete sidewalk. 

Interactors also spent time cleaning up a local beach which kept 10 bags of trash from washing away into the ocean preventing pollution and damage to sea life.

They brought the toys, clothes, books, art supplies and sports equipment donated by our MT. SHASTA COMMUNITY. The orphanage was very thankful and kids were excited to receive them.

The children at the orphanage were slow to warm up and to trust having come from environments of violence, sexual abuse, homelessness and abandonment but by the second day friendships were being made and genuine bonding was taking place. Lots of tears from both sides were shed when they departed. As a result of this hands on “Service Above Self” trip, these students took away new perspectives on gratitude, compassion, empathy, privilege and family, while helping others in need.

When you support interact you support our youth locally and beyond!