Youth Services

Snack packing at Parkland High School with Interact

Interact

Allentown West Rotary Club believes that the key to a brighter future is engaging young people to become positive, contributing members of society. Our club goes about this in several ways. For example, we support education through our new STEM YEA initiative and organize student exchanges that build peace and broaden young minds.

A feature of Rotary is the Interact Clubs. 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 are self-governing and self-supporting.

In our case, two Interact Clubs have been established at Parkland High School and Northwestern High School. The Interact students work alongside our Rotarians at the Community Garden and at the Parkland School District to provide weekend snack packs to less fortunate students. The Rotary Club of Allentown West provides all the food, while the Interact students pack. Being a member of an Interact club can change your worldview in a significant way.

At a recent visit of the Allentown West Rotary Club to Northwestern Middle School, the Interactors from Northwestern Lehigh told us about their organic farming project in New Tripoli. This was also featured in a district 7430 video you can see here.
The Northwestern Interact Club is very impressive both in it's size and quality.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one furthering 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.

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.

As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries and geographical areas, Interact has become a worldwide phenomenon. Almost 200,000 young people are involved in Interact. Being a member of an Interact club can change your worldview in a significant way.

Interact Members Go Places

Our club has a regular reminder of just how far Interact members can go. Nick Millward was always a regular feature at our meetings, zooming in from the other side of the world. He successfully applied to get one of a few berths at a Rotary Peace Center.

Nick Millward has earned a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Queensland as a Class 20 Rotary Peace Fellow. This temporarily meant that he was not an official Rotarian, as the grant comes from Rotary International. Still, it’s hard to find someone more steeped in the values of Rotary. This is now remedied as Nick was inducted into our club on January 3, 2023. Today, he continues his studies in Kyrgyzstan.

Most recently, Nick proposed a new international project to our club, which was readily accepted. It's called the 21|21 Initiative. The goal is to provide a scholarship for each province of Mongolia. The idea is to partner with other Rotary clubs to provide the scholarships.

After graduating and commissioning from Virginia Military Institute in 2014, Nick served as the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Company Pacific Executive Officer in Yokosuka, Japan, and a Light Armored Reconnaissance Company Commander in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

He left the Marine Corps in 2021 and moved to Kyrgyzstan to begin a Masters in Central Asian Studies at the American University of Central Asia. While pursuing his academic goals, he continues to be a dedicated volunteer promoting international community-building efforts as a leader in the Yokosuka Council in Asia-Pacific Studies, Friends of Mongolia, and Lantuun Dohio.

“I was fortunate to serve as the Interact President at Northwestern Lehigh High School from 2009-2010, where I first learned about Rotary. The opportunity to learn about Rotary’s mission and values was crucial to developing my own understanding of the world and how I can fit in it. It is vital for young people to engage in community service and learn about the qualities of servant-leadership. The friendships, awareness, and desire to serve the community were fortified because of Interact and Rotary’s support.”

Youth Exchange

Rotary Youth Exchange inspires young leaders to serve as catalysts for peace and social justice in their local communities and worldwide long after their exchanges end. This program is possible because of the dedication, leadership, and passion of the tens of thousands of volunteers — Rotary members and nonmembers alike — who make this unique program so successful.

Our foreign youth exchange students live with one or more host families for their year abroad. These students become part of the family & make lifelong friendships. As planned, they truly become ambassadors for peace as they are immersed in the culture of their new country. Many Allentown West exchange students keep in touch & visit with their host families for loop years afterward.

Our present student, Samuel, is from Germany & having a great year. He is living with one of our wonderful Rotarians & attends Northwestern High School where he is very active in sports. He will take part in a Rotary sponsored trip to California with other exchange students before returning home.

Short-term exchanges last from several days to three months and are often structured as camps, tours, or home stays when school is not in session.

Camp Neidig

Two to four students receive scholarships to Camp Neidig, a Leadership event for high school students, every June. Throughout the weekend, campers participate in a series of problem-solving stations that will both mentally and physically challenge the campers to work as a team. Each activity has been designed to test and refine specific leadership skills.

Each year, thousands of young people participate. In recent years our D7430 Camp Neidig was held mostly for High School Juniors. It began on Friday afternoon and ended the next Monday evening.