By Ron Saikowski Rotary Club of Conroe April 18, 2025

This date 189 years ago marks the battle that won Texas its independence as a nation.

The Battle of San Jacinto lasted only minutes and changed the course of history forever. Rotarians are forging ahead and changing the lives of our High School students forever in a Program called Interact.

Basically, Interact is a positive influence on the lives of High School students providing them with opportunities to develop leadership skill in order to assert themselves as independent adults in their future lives. Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 14 thru 18. As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries, the Interact Program has become a worldwide phenomenon.

Interact Clubs are basically Rotary on a high school basis. Rotary Clubs sponsor these Interact Clubs in High Schools throughout the world with the High Schools also providing a school sponsor or two. The Youth are guided by both Rotarians and School Staff volunteering hundreds of hours to make a successful Interact Club with its independent Teen leaders providing service projects on a local and international basis. 

The Rotary Club of The Woodlands sponsors Interact Clubs at five local high schools, being:
•    The Woodlands High School 
•    The Woodlands College Park High School
•    John Cooper High School
•    The Woodlands Christian Academy
•    Oak Ridge High School
•    Grand Oaks High School

The Rotary Club of Conroe sponsored an Interact Club at Conroe High School for many years until the pandemic when most school programs were temporarily eliminated. A school sponsor(s) is being pursued by the Rotary Club of Conroe at Conroe High School with a sponsor stipend of $1,000 to be provided.

Clarence Lewis has worked with the Principal at Booker T. Washington High School to start the newest Interact Club in Texas. Dr. Nina Norman sees the value of Interact at her High School and is personally involved, hosting their initial Interact Club meeting this past week.

Elizabeth Logue of the Rotary Club of Conroe presented to the Interact Club of Conroe her specialized college program at Lone Star Community College. These high schoolers were fascinated by her program since Washington High School is an alternative school of education to the normal formal education programs found in other high schools. These high schoolers come from all areas of Conroe ISD for this open education process.

Elizabeth Logue’s College Program specializes in educating those that have educational challenges in the formal process of education. This first meeting of the Interact Club of Washington High School provided a means to elect Officers for the coming school year. These elections were held at Interact Clubs throughout Montgomery County to prepare and organize for the coming school year. In early August, the Rotary District hosts a training session at Lone Star College to educate those Interact elected leaders in order for them to provide to the Interact Clubs the guidance in being successful service organizations just like the various Rotary Clubs. Rotary Clubs continue to serve our communities and build leaders. 

For more information on Rotary, please contact Ron Saikowski at rsaikowski@comcast.net. 

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