School News & Clubs

Giving Back Together: John Jay’s Interact Club

By Grant Pacheco & Hannah Frey

Edited by Jacob Cheung

Photos by Kevin Sanchez

October 22, 2025

What is Interact Club?

The Interact Club at John Jay is all about getting involved in the community. Members take part in social causes, environmental cleanup, and volunteer work—three impactful ways students describe the purpose of the club.

What Does Interact Club Do?

At John Jay, Interact Club members do what they can to help the community. They take turns recycling throughout the school, participate in school-related events like the local Halloween haunted house, and volunteer at bake sales.

The club's efforts extend beyond school, too. Members volunteer at the community center and participate in other off-campus events as well.

Why Should You Join Interact Club?

Interact Club offers students a chance to connect with their peers through meaningful community service. According to Interact Club supervisor James Phelan:

“Interact is a good thing to be involved with because of the community service. We do fun events, especially like our haunted house, which is coming at the end of the month.”

Q&A with James Phelan, Interact Club Supervisor

What sparked the beginning of Interact Club?

“Before I was the advisor, probably about 10 years ago, some kids wanted to figure out a way to kind of clean up John Jay and do something about having some of the garbage around. That’s why we recycle. That’s why we do a lot of the coat drives and other community service-type events, because essentially, when they started this group, they were trying to find a group of people who would all be interested in community service together.”

What made you want to be the official supervisor of Interact?

“The good thing about being a supervisor of Interact is that most of the students that come to Interact are good people who are always ready to volunteer and do community service. So it’s nice to get to know these activities and things outside of school. For example, the haunted house or a coat drive, you know, cleaning up the school. It’s fun to do stuff after school hours where you get to hang out and do things a little differently, not just about class or a test or whatever.”

Why It Matters

If you’re a John Jay student looking to get involved and make a positive impact on your school and community, Interact Club is a great place to start. Step out of your comfort zone, try something new, and help make John Jay a better experience for everyone.