For young people who want to make new friends, discover their purpose and make a difference in their communities, Interact Club of Coeur d'Alene is ready to help them accomplish those goals.

"Interact Club is such a cool organization and we have a lot of resources, especially because we’re working off the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club," Coeur d'Alene club President Luke Sharon said Tuesday.

A youth organization of the Rotary Club of Coeur d'Alene, Interact is open to Kootenai County youths ages 12-18.

"Last year’s kids were just amazing, we have a great group with Luke’s leadership," said Luke Russell, Coeur d'Alene Rotary member and liaison to the club. "There's a lot of interest of our club. I’ve gotten calls and texts about, 'How can my kid participate?'"

Established in 2022, it is the only Interact Club in North Idaho, though others are active in southern and southeastern Idaho. Nearly 343,000 members, or "interactors," are active in roughly 15,000 Interact Clubs across 145 countries.

Interact Club members take initiative and work on problems they care about, they discover and promote understanding among different cultures and they expand their social circles.

"Interact kids learn leadership skills, integrity and learn about the Rotary mission of 'Service above Self,'" Russell said. "Our club's goal is to help them be successful in their personal goals and have them be future Rotarians."

The Interact Club of Coeur d'Alene chose mental health as its main focus last year and will continue to build on ways to address this issue.

"They did a lot of work on developing resources and information for other students who are facing issues with mental health," Russell said.

This work included creating and distributing mental health brochures as well as coordinating the "Swimming Against Stigma" program through which the club brought Olympic gold medalist and mental health advocate Michael Phelps to share his mental health journey with students at Coeur d'Alene and Lake City high schools earlier this year.

Sharon, an incoming Lake City High senior and ASB president, was instrumental in organizing the Phelps events, along with 2023 Coeur d'Alene High School graduate and outgoing Interact Club President Alexander Nipp. Both young men are passionate about mental health and effecting positive change among their peers and in their community.

"What we hope to do with mental health awareness is to spread hope,” Sharon said.

Sharon said the club is in the early planning stages regarding what events and projects it will organize.

"We are planning to do more than just one," he said.

Interact Club of Coeur d'Alene has held one meeting following the departure of several high school seniors who graduated in June. New members are needed.

The time commitment is one meeting a month, with more hours needed for members who serve as officers or on committees.

"We’re trying to get as many students as possible involved before the school year," Sharon said.

No fees are required to participate.

"If we have that diverse collective, we will have a better idea of what good mental health looks like for a student and it will allow us to be more active, not just with the more outgoing student, but the students who aren't involved in a lot," Sharon said. "If a student has gone through something, a suicide attempt or a struggle with anxiety, they can come to Interact and say, 'This is what helps me.' We want all students. With all students we have a better idea of how to spread that word of mental health."

Interact Club of Coeur d'Alene will appoint officers during its meeting at noon Aug. 20 at 2100 Northwest Blvd., Coeur d'Alene.

"If anyone wants to do it, they can come, they can pitch as to why they should be the vice president, secretary or treasurer," Sharon said.

Info: coeurdaleneinteract.org