Warwick Valley Interact Club builds on legacy of service with Hilltop Communities partnership
Young Life. Students engage in environmental and literacy initiatives.
Warwick /
| 04 Jun 2026 | 12:45
Interact Club members with copies of “Emily and the Mango Man,” a book shared with Honduran children as part of a literacy initiative. (
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Interact Club members launched Keepers of the Reef, a program to promote ocean stewardship. (
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The Warwick Valley High School Interact Club is partnering with Hilltop Communities, founded by Warwick Rotarian Dr. Roseanne Esposito, and its nonprofit initiative, PATH (Promoting Arts, Teamwork, and Hope), these student leaders are discovering how local stewardship can spark global change.
Conversations between students and Esposito lead to projects tied to causes they cared deeply about, a shared passion for environmental preservation emerged. Out of those meaningful dialogues, Keepers of the Reef was born.
What is Keepers of the Reef?
Led by Interact President Layla Thurber alongside a dedicated cohort of student leaders, Keepers of the Reef is a youth-led initiative focused on environmental stewardship, awareness, and action. What began as a passionate core group has quickly expanded, capturing the imagination of the broader school community.
Through ongoing pledge drives, the group encourages their peers to think intentionally about reducing single-use plastics, proving that small, daily choices can yield a massive environmental impact.
Madison, one of the founding Reef Keepers, recently became the first student to collect pledges representing more than 100 plastic bottles
”This has become very real for the students,” said Interact advisor Jeanine Fogler. “They see their projects come to life through social media, follow the work happening in Honduras, and communicate directly with youth leaders. They are realizing they can have a genuine impact far beyond their own community.”
How is the club promoting literacy abroad?
The Interact Club funded a literacy and leadership initiative, as part of PATH’s Branches Across Borders program. The club’s donation purchased copies of the book “Emily and the Mango Man” for children in Crawfish Rock, Roatán, Honduras.
The books were integrated into a dynamic workshop hosted by Islanders for Change, a local Honduran youth leadership group. Using the story as a foundation, participants explored their unique personal gifts and discussed how to use them to strengthen their community:
Aliyah shared that her gift is helping people. Danny identified his talents in barbering and his desire to serve others. Another student celebrated her artistic talents and expressed immense pride in receiving a book of her very own.
This project holds deep cultural significance. Crawfish Rock is an English-speaking Caribbean fishing community where access to English-language literature and educational resources is severely limited. By providing these books, the initiative supports both literacy development and cultural preservation.
Esposito will continue providing structured, literacy-based activities connected to the book, helping Honduran youth strengthen their reading skills while exploring themes of self-discovery and service.
Enthusiasm for service continues to grow
Back in Warwick, Fogler notes that the enthusiasm is only growing as students prepare to expand Keepers of the Reef schoolwide, creating new leadership roles across all grade levels.
”What has been most exciting is watching how much the students are embracing the true spirit of Interact and Rotary,” said Fogler. “They’re beginning to realize that service isn’t just volunteering for a day. They’re building lifelong relationships, taking ownership, and seeing that even as high school students, they can change the world.”