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Interact Club

What We Did on Our Spring Break...

Four representatives from the Vantage Interact Club travelled to Cap Haitien, Haiti during this year's Spring Break - Club Advisor, Ms. Page Bollenbacher, Interact Club President, senior Danielle Taylor (Lincolnview), senior Tiffany Hahn (Paulding) and junior Samantha Spangler (Wayne Trace). 

The purpose of this trip was to deliver 20 boxes of medical equipment and hand tools for the Vantage carpentry class in Bordes, Haiti.  This year, 10 Haitien students graduated from the carpentry class that is sponsored and sustained by the Vantage Interact Club and their Rotary partners.  Since Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, it is necessary for the Club to not only teach the Haitiens a skills, but to also provide the hand tools.

The Interact Club also collected medical supplies, which was given to a Haitien medical clinic who treats orphans for free. Bollenbacher and the students worked to sort the tools and medical supplies. They also visited the carpentry class at Bordes, Haiti, where the carpentry students, told the Americans to continue the educational program because it is just too important to end. On Easter Sunday, a graduation ceremony was held, at which the diplomas and hand tools were distributed to the graduates.

The Vantage crew spent the week visiting friends, exchanging educational and cultural ideologies and visiting Haitien historical sites.  At Milot, Haiti, the team visited Christophe’s Palace. The Haitiens built the palace in appreciation of Christophe’s leadership to repel the French from Haiti. The palace was destroyed by an earthquake around 1840. The students were impressed with the Haitien’s ability to carve and their other art work. As a reward for their labor, the team spent a day at the beach, near Labadee, Haiti.

As usual, the students were initially shocked at the standard of living that Haitiens must endure. It is difficult to imagine what daily life is like in Haiti. No running water, sewage systems, garbage pick up or traffic laws, were just a few of the things that Haitiens live with everyday. New friendships were made, and a better understanding of other cultures was learned. The three American students said that they would NEVER take their standard of living for granted ever again! Mission accomplished………..

Vantage Rotary Interact Club Induction Ceremony was held on Thursday, Nov. 3rd @ 8:30 am.  Ninety-three students were welcomed into the club.

Van Wert Rotary members attended the Induction Ceremony and also presented the Interact Club with a generous donation to the club's treasury.  Thank You!!

History...

Six years ago, after hearing Marius Turienne, Superintendent of the Bordes School in Haiti, speak to Vantage social studies students about Haitian culture, the Vantage student body voted to "adopt" the Bordes School and work hand-in-hand with them to provide vocational services to its students. They would organize this endeavor through a student formed Haiti Committee. This original committee began with two advisors and twelve students. During the second year of its existence, the Haiti Committee partnered with the Van Wert Rotary Club and associated itself as a Rotary Interact Club. While the primary purpose of the Interact Club was to strengthen the partnership between Vantage and the Bordes School, they also agreed to tackle service projects that would benefit local constituents. To date, the Vantage Interact Club has 125 members and is the largest high school Interact Club in the state of Ohio.

One major accomplishment of the Interact Club was establishing and maintaining a carpentry program at the Bordes School. By creating a carpentry program at the Bordes School, Vantage has taken an integral role in helping teach Haitians skills that will benefit them for their entire lifetime. Over the last six years, Vantage students have raised nearly $30,000 for the Bordes carpentry program, while also making annual trips to Haiti. Peg Bollenbacher, American Studies teacher at Vantage, said "Adopting the school at Bordes was a student-led initiative. Our Vantage students wanted to reach out and work with Bordes students to provide opportunities that they otherwise would not have."

The group continues to meet and hold fundraisers for the Bordes School.  In April, 2012, Ms. Bollenbacher and 3 students traveled to Haiti for a week.