Franklin Interact Club wants to unite teens to make a difference (audio)

FM #1611 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1611 in the series. 

This session shares my conversation with Syed Azhar and Harsini Vijai of the Franklin Interact Club on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Our conversation was conducted in the Franklin TV & Radio studios.

The Franklin Interact Club is a service club for teens in the Franklin area sponsored by the Franklin Rotary. You must be a Franklin resident and between the ages of 12 to 18 to be a member.

The show notes provide links to their web page, social accounts, email, etc.

Franklin Interact Club

Current projects

• Middle school teacher recognition, Jan 21, 2026

• Voices of Us, as Voices of Franklin

• Birthday boxes

• A project with an international aspect (TBD)

Let’s listen to my conversation with Sayed and Hasini and find out how you can help their community service efforts.

Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1611-franklin-ma-interact-club-12-10-25/

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Interact webpage   https://sites.google.com/view/franklinmainteractclub/home 

The Interact Club GoFundMe page https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-franklin-interact-club-make-a-difference/donate?

Application for new members https://forms.gle/qALcp6beLc9Zs6Ef7 

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/franklin.ma.interact 

Facebook page -> https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580646612868 

Franklin Rotary posting about the 2025 RYLA students https://franklinmarotary.org/in/2025/07/17/2025-ryla-students/ 

Email for additional questions franklinmainteract@gmail.com 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. 

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

 

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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Remember the difference

Important to remember the difference between Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Armed Forces Day.

Remember the difference

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/CstcEPoACQx/

Superintendent's Letter to Franklin Community - Response #2 to School Committee Discourse

Superintendent's Letter to Franklin Community - 

Response #2 to School Committee Discourse

Outlining Immediate Actions in Response to School Committee Discourse

November 4, 2021

Dear Franklin Community,

I am writing to follow up on actions taken and planned after last week’s disruption at the Franklin School Committee meeting as well as student representative comments related to bullying and harassment at school. We have been processing the impact and have been working to solidify a safe and respectful environment for civic discourse and promote healing.

We recognize that gathering student feedback is instrumental in appropriately addressing student needs. Members of the administration met with students about becoming a “No Place for Hate School” and had a productive dialogue that assessed morale and drove hope for a better FHS for all. In attendance were student representatives from A World of Difference, the Diversity Awareness Club, and the Sexuality and Gender Alliance. Additionally, we also reviewed historical bullying and harassment data. Our data leads us to suspect that incidents are being under-reported. We also listened for more information about perceptions of inaction.

In response, we have done or are doing the following things:

● On November 2nd, all K-12 school adjustment counselors and school psychologists participated in a professional development webinar series on supporting LGBTQIA+ students and understanding legal rights. We have also disseminated DESE guidance to counselors and principals issued on October 28, 2021 related to the Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity. This will be an agenda item for an upcoming administrative meeting.

● We are developing an after school resource group for high school students to gather and talk about their experiences with bias-based incidents as well as actions that can be taken to make for a more equitable experience at school.

● We are accelerating the process of hiring a Director of Equity and Student Supports. We anticipate initiating this search within the next few weeks.

● We are accelerating plans to survey all students in Franklin High School for their perceptions of school climate and culture. We are in the process of preparing this survey with a highly regarded third-party resource (Panorama) and expect to be able to survey students the week after Thanksgiving. We anticipate surveying middle school students in the near future as well. This data will give us a greater understanding of the perspective of the student body and areas of focus for action. It will also serve as a baseline by which we can measure our improvement efforts.

● In response to potential under reporting and perception of inaction, we will revise our online reporting language and clearly define its use. Additionally, we will prioritize communicating the reporting, investigation, and response process.

● The high school administration is holding class meetings to start the beginning of quarter 2. Respectful, inclusive behavior of all will be a theme. They will also use this time to invite additional students to participate in the development of a series of activities for the school community towards becoming a “No Place for Hate School”. These activities will activate a school-wide effort that integrates productive dialogue and active learning on the topics of bias, bullying, and allyship.

 

The community can expect stronger protocols and processes during the School Committee meetings. The Chair of the School Committee will communicate the expectations for respectful civic discourse as well as the processes for handling disruptive behavior for both in person and virtual participants. These expectations will be readily available once enacted by our incoming Chairperson.

Our actions will not be limited to those above, but these actions are the ones most immediately tied to the meeting last week. We will continue to keep the community informed of our efforts to affirm diversity, promote equity and accountability, and foster inclusion throughout the year.

With continued respect for all in Franklin, 

Sara Ahern

Superintendent of Schools

Franklin Public Schools

Shared from  https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/news/superintendents_letter_to_franklin_community_11.4.2021.pdf 

“there is a lot of education that needs to occur”

Bella DeCrescenzo and Norah Anderson write "Handling Hate at the High School" 

"Our eyes locked in disbelief and shock; our fellow World of Difference members shook their heads along with us in disgust as Mr. Hanna gestured to our advisors for their thoughts as he finished his overview about what had occurred. Our advisor, Mrs. Calcagno, then explained that “having conversations about bias is most important”. So let’s talk about it. 

As students of the Franklin High School community walked around the perimeter of their school, the last thing that they had expected to see was the homophobic message scrawled across the back door. Not only was this message unexpected, but something that these teenagers should never have had to see. They were then faced with the choice of whether or not they should report this discriminatory behavior. The students decided to step forward and report their findings to the administration, who we picture responding with long faces and disappointed shakes of their heads. "

Continue reading ->  https://franklinpanthers.us/top-stories/2021/10/20/handling-hate-at-the-high-school/

The School Committee meeting recap of Sep 28, 2021 can be found here. This meeting had the update on the graffiti incident.  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/10/recap-school-committee-meeting-hears-of.html

Definitions via ADL

FHS A World of Difference - Women's History Month video on Megan Markle

FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) tweeted on Sun, Mar 21, 2021:

"In honor of Women's History Month, check out this short video about Megan Markle!" https://t.co/ITuSs9S3pl

 

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/Franklin_AWOD/status/1373687855919284227

In honor of Women's History Month, check out this short video about Megan Markle! pic.twitter.com/ITuSs9S3pl

— FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) March 21, 2021

 

 

FHS A World of Difference: 2 Part video on John Lewis

FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) tweeted on Sun, Feb 28, 2021:

Today's Black History Month Video is a special 2 Part Video about John Lewis! https://t.co/nlSq6fDIM2

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/Franklin_AWOD/status/1366088070504808459   

and https://twitter.com/Franklin_AWOD/status/1366088175018528770

Today's Black History Month Video is a special 2 Part Video about John Lewis! pic.twitter.com/nlSq6fDIM2

— FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) February 28, 2021

Part 2! pic.twitter.com/lgZL2AKITx

— FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) February 28, 2021

FHS A World of Difference: video on Angela Davis

FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) tweeted on Tue, Feb 23, 2021:

Today's Black History Month Video is on human rights activist, scholar, and author: Angela Davis! https://t.co/UnVfVHteZ6

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/Franklin_AWOD/status/1364226161862209536

Today's Black History Month Video is on human rights activist, scholar, and author: Angela Davis! pic.twitter.com/UnVfVHteZ6

— FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) February 23, 2021

 

FHS A World of Difference: 1 minute video - how perspectives matter

FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) tweeted  on Fri, Jan 29, 2021:

"Happy Friday everyone! Here is a short, 1-minute lesson taught by a World of Difference Member that you can do right now to illustrate how perspectives can differ! "

View the video =https://t.co/zgnaumLvgq

 

 

FHS A World of Difference: 1 minute video - how perspectives matter

FHS A World of Difference explains implicit bias (video)

FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) tweeted on Sat, Jan 09, 2021:

What is implicit bias? What is an example? Check out this short video by World Of Difference members Angelina and Jake, explaining implicit bias in just 20 seconds! https://t.co/NYtIjIiVpF

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/Franklin_AWOD/status/1348009048143241219

 

What is implicit bias? What is an example? Check out this short video by World Of Difference members Angelina and Jake, explaining implicit bias in just 20 seconds! pic.twitter.com/NYtIjIiVpF

— FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) January 9, 2021