Imagine being able to make a difference in this community.

Being a part of Interact Club, a club built around improving interactions with other people and giving back to the community doesnai??i??t require any unique talents or a substantial income in order to make a difference.

With strength in numbers, the club brings young people together to discover the value of Ai??ai???service above self.”

Here at Stroudsburg High School, the Interact Club is advised by Ms. Karen Dematteo and Ms. Brenda Mitstifier. Senior Brendan Zambrano is the president, and the board members are: seniors Hannah Tepper, Grace Butz, Angelica Byra, Sarah Oai??i??Connell, Delaney Pinson, andAi??juniors Joanna Chen and Sergio Butron.

The Interact Club in Stroudsburg is one of the 20,372 other clubs from around the world. Students between the ages of 12 and 18 can participate.

Each club is sponsored by the Rotary Club, which is an international organization that aims to bring people together to give back to the community.Ai?? RotaryAi??provides support and guidance to each club, so each club functions independently.

Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday, the Stroudsburg Interact Club members meet to discuss future plans and to play Icebreakers, a game that improves interaction between members.

There are a variety of activities and fundraisers planned for this year — most notably ai???flockingai??? other teachers’ rooms and front lawns of their houses. It involves placing plastic flamingos all around the area, so the owner has to pay to get them removed.

The money will be used to support the club, as well as being donated to international non-profit organizations such as The Shoe That Grows.

Volunteering has always been a staple activity for Interact. This year, the members already did a roadside clean up along Main Street on Saturday, October 21.

Interact also encourage their members to participate in different committees such as the polio committee. Doing so enables participants to develop their leadership skills.

Their latest focus has been on polio awareness. Students color their pinky finger purple with paint, and place it on a poster to show their support against polio.

First-year president Brendan Zambrano is a strong advocate for volunteering and increasing the interaction between club and community.

ai???I think more leadership roles in volunteer work helps members grow and be more confident facing strangers. They also use their time to give back to the community,ai??? Zambrano said.

The president creates the agenda of every meeting, manages the Google Classroom page, manages the Remind site, schedules volunteer opportunities, and runs the club.Ai??

The board members assist the president and other officers, attend board meetings where they discuss future plans, run errands, and organize the bulletin board outside the cafeteria about Interact.

Overseeing the club operate is the job of the advisers, where they guide and make suggestions. Ms. Mitstifer described the members as ai???well-mannered individuals that show their caring capabilities to help others.ai???

Meetings are every 1st and 3rd Wednesday in Mitstiferai??i??s room (F-107). The fee for a new member with a t-shirt is $10, and the classroom code is zcx1mwq.