Caption: Rotary members with NEC school administration and interactors
Summary
- The Interact Club at North Eastern College in Sangre Grande has been officially chartered under the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Sangre Grande.
- Rotary leaders encouraged students to become community problem-solvers and global change agents through leadership, innovation and service.
- The club aims to promote youth empowerment, ethical leadership and community service, while also highlighting social issues such as gender equality through student projects.
YOUTHS attending North Eastern College (NEC) in Sangre Grande are being encouraged to lead with integrity, promote peacebuilding initiatives, and use technology and innovation for social good. They are also being urged to become community advocates for vulnerable populations.
Recently, the NEC Interact Club was officially chartered under the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Sangre Grande.
The ceremony reinforces the continuity and sustainability of youth service leadership within the school and aligns with Rotary’s commitment to developing young leaders through global youth service programmes.
The chartering also reflects the strong presence of Interact clubs across the district, where more than 100 secondary schools are actively participating in youth leadership and community service initiatives, strengthening the pipeline of future community and global leaders throughout the Caribbean, a release from the Rotary Club of Sangre Grande stated.
Interact is a youth service programme of Rotary International for young people ages 12 to 18. Sponsored by local Rotary clubs, Interact clubs empower students to develop leadership skills while carrying out service projects that benefit their schools, communities and the wider world.
The release stated that the chartering further strengthened Interact’s growing presence in the Sangre Grande region through partnerships with local schools, including Swaha Hindu College.
The ceremony was attended by senior Rotary leadership, including Rotary District 7030 Governor Soroya Warner-Gustave, District Governor-Nominee Designate for 2028–2029 Giselle Holder and Assistant Governor BettyAnn Whiteman-Skinner, who represented district-level youth service leadership.
The district governor encouraged the Interactors to become global change agents and community problem-solvers, emphasising that youth leadership is not solely about academic or technical success but also about building character, ethical decision-making and social responsibility.
She urged Interactors to become ambassadors of peace, innovation and humanitarian service across the global Rotary network.
Interact President Malachi Bunbury noted that NEC has served the community since 1961, but Interact leadership had remained inactive for several years.
“We are not just restarting the club. We are reclaiming legacy. We are bringing Interact back because ‘Service Above Self’ is already part of our school culture,” he said.
The club’s leadership vision focuses on community service engagement, ethical leadership development, youth empowerment and unity, and academic and social excellence.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of tokens of appreciation to visiting Rotary leaders in recognition of their continued investment in youth empowerment and education across Trinidad and Tobago.
For International Women’s Day, the club also highlighted the occasion through a student film project titled “Empowerment Through Solidarity.”
The film explored gender-based discrimination and the importance of mentorship and community support for young women and girls.
