Vocational & Youth Opportunities

Youth Opportunities

Thousands of young people get involved with Rotary’s competitions, programmes and activities, all designed to unlock their potential.

Youth Competitions

From local heats to national finals, Rotary Youth Competitions in a range of creative areas let young peoples' skills flourish.

Activities supported by Skipton Rotary Clubs include:

Share your creative talents with a wide audience by taking part in our Rotary Young Artist competition. Express yourself with your interpretation of this year’s theme, as set out in the Information Pack, and submit a piece of two-dimensional artwork.

Your artwork will go through a local stage first, followed by the district heats and then, if you are lucky, on to the national final.

The competition is open to artists up to the age of 17 (as of 31st August 2024).

Download the 2024/25 competition Information Pack and Poster and contact your local Rotary club for an entry form.

The Rotary Young Chef competition, sponsored by Filippo Berio, gives entrants the chance to develop their culinary skills and be judged by leading industry professionals.

Entrants plan and cook a two-course meal (main course and dessert), develop their food presentation skills, and gain experience in high-pressure situations.

Whether you’re keen on a culinary career or just an enthusiastic home cook, this competition is a fantastic opportunity.

The winner of the Rotary Young Chef National Final will receive a prize of a two-day trip to Tuscany, which includes cookery classes to learn the secrets of regional Italian cooking.

Download the 2024-25 Young Chef Information Pack and 2024-25 Poster and contact your local Rotary club for an entry form

Share your gift of song or mastery of a musical instrument in Rotary’s Young Musician competition.

Participants will get the chance to experience performing on a public stage as they showcase their musical talent and receive feedback from experienced adjudicators.

You will perform in a local heat first before going, if selected onto a district final, a cluster final and then onto the national final on Saturday 29th March 2025 (venue TBC).

Entrants can be either a solo vocalist or solo instrumentalist and the competition is open to young musicians up to the age of 17 (as of 31st August 2024).

Download the 2024/25 competition Information Pack and Poster and contact your local Rotary club for details on the local heats.

Photography has the power to capture special places, moments and memories, whether using traditional cameras or the ones on your phone.

The Rotary Young Photographer competition gives participants the chance to express themselves through photography, whilst interpreting the competition’s annual theme, as seen in the Information Pack, in an imaginative way.

This competition is open to all young people up to the age of 17 (as of 31st August 2024).

Download the 2024/25 competition Information Pack and Poster and contact your local Rotary club for an entry form.

This competition offers participants the chance to express themselves and get creative with the written word.

Using this year’s theme, as seen in the Information Pack, participants can choose to write fiction or non-fiction, a story or a poem. It’s your chance to be imaginative.

The competition is open to young writers up to the age of 17 (as of 31st August 2024).

Download the 2024/25 competition Information Pack and Poster and contact your local Rotary club for an entry form.

Challenge your public speaking and debating abilities and perform, persuade, and entertain the audience with your display of knowledge of a topic of your choosing.

In teams of three, you will argue for and against your chosen topic. You will present structured arguments and rebuttals before taking a question from the audience.

Participants can select a topic that is important to them, allowing them to delve deep into research, formulate ideas, and expand their knowledge.

Taking part helps build self-confidence and develop public speaking skills, including how to keep an audience engaged.

Entrants can take part in the Intermediate (ages 11-13) or Senior (14-17) categories (ages as of 31st August 2024).

Download the 2024/25 competition Information Pack  and Poster and contact your local Rotary club for an entry form.

Technology Tournaments

Rotary Technology Tournaments are a challenging and enjoyable way for young people to enrich their STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).

The young people, typically in teams of four, have to solve an interactive technology-based task and are required to design, develop and build a solution with the materials supplied.

Tournaments culminate in the testing session when teams demonstrate their best solution to the task and can observe the efforts of competing teams.

Stewards are on hand to guide the teams throughout and offer a helping hand where necessary to ensure everyone gets the most from the experience. The tournament is judged by Rotary members and guests with backgrounds in engineering, technology and design.

As STEM subjects continue to be a key part of the school curriculum, Rotary Technology Tournaments support not only academic learning, but teach skills such as teamwork, communication and timekeeping.

Who can take part?

Technology Tournaments are designed for secondary school pupils aged 11-16, with an advanced age level for 16 to 18-year olds.

There are also Junior Technology Tournaments which Rotary delivers in partnership with the Rochester Bridge Trust, with simpler tasks designed specifically for 8 to 11-year-olds in primary and junior schools.

Taking on a similar design, develop, build and test format, the Junior Technology Tournament is designed to be suitable for younger children and smaller educational settings and can take place across a whole day, two half days or four ‘twilight’ sessions of around one hour.

All costs are paid by the organising Rotary clubs and there is no entry cost to school teams other than any potential transport to and from the event – although many events are held within the school environment.

How to get involved

To create or take part in a Technology Tournament in your area, please contact info@skiptoncravenrotary.co.uk and we will point you in the right direcion

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, or RYLA, is a leadership development programme run by Rotary for young adults.

Whether you are a secondary school pupil, university student or young professional, RYLA will help you discover your potential and develop the skills needed to be a leader in your community, career and everyday life.

Each RYLA course is sponsored by a local Rotary club or group.

What does RYLA offer?

RYLA programmes run between three to ten days and give participants the opportunity to:

• Gain exposure to leadership scenarios
• Explore problem-solving strategies as part of a team
• Discuss and apply creative approaches to leadership and conflict management
• Build confidence in yourself and what you can achieve
• Meet new people and make lasting friendships
• Learn how to arrange youth activities and community service projects at locally and internationally

Being a leader is not just about being confident enough to speak out and knowing what to say, it is knowing when to listen to others and understand. RYLA teaches this, and other soft skills, to help everyone to be the best they can be.

Teamwork exercises bring people together from different walks of life in a safe environment where everyone can get to know each other without fear of exclusion or negativity.

As with all Rotary programmes, Rotary members are appropriately DBS checked and risk assessments are carried out for all activities.

Who is eligible?

You don’t need to be a high achiever with outstanding academic grades, just be willing to try something new through activity-based learning and discover new talents along the way, as well as having fun.

RYLA programmes involve physical challenges so can be demanding. Some degree of fitness is required.

The courses are open to people aged 14 to 30.

How to get involved

For more information please contact info@skiptoncravenrotary.co.uk and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Rotary Youth Under Sail - in partnership with Ocean Youth Trust (North) (OYT)

This is a residential, character-building experience which challenges young people and steers them towards becoming self-confident, well-balanced individuals

It uses the traditional practices of seafaring as a tool for personal and social development.  Whilst participants do acquire some nautical skills, the programme does not aim to teach them how to sail.

The young crews will be fully involved in setting and achieving their own voyage objectives and will take responsibility for all aspects of running a 70ft/56 ton sailing vessel under the supervision of skilled staff and volunteers.

The programme requires participants to confront physical and emotional challenges.  Its a life-changing experience, giving them:

• Self-confidence and resilience
• Interpersonal and social skills
• Ability to work in a team
• Sense of responsibility and respect for others
• Awareness of the environment

This programme is for young people aged 14 to 17 who will benefit from increased self-confidence and social interaction

How to get involved

Contact info@skiptoncraventrtary.co.uk and we will point you in the right direction

Rotary Young Citizen Awards

These awards recognise young people under the age of 25 who have demonstrated positive citizenship, personal achievements, assumed important responsibilities, undertaken community activities or otherwise stood out as exceptional. There are no set categories for these awards.

The awards can be for individuals or groups who have made a positive difference. Examples of this could include champions in their school or local community, young carers, fundraisers, volunteers, or young people who have shown courage in some way.

Nominees do not necessarily have to be working on a Rotary project to be eligible, they just have to be recognised by a local Rotary club, individual or organisation as worthy of nomination. All nominations must go through a Rotary club for their endorsement.

In addition to the Rotary Young Citizen Awards, there are three specific awards, as set out below, all also for young individuals or groups under the age of 25

Rotary Young Citizen Sporting Hero Award

The Rotary Young Citizen Sporting Hero Award recognises the achievements and contribution of a sports participant or group of participants, or an individual group who is enabling others to participate in sport. Nominees will, in some way, have achieved exceptional things in the world of sport, be it able-bodied or disability sport.

Rotary Young Citizen Peacemaker Award

The Rotary Young Citizen Peacemaker Award reflects Rotary’s focus on promoting peace. It recognises young people who have made a significant contribution by building peace and understanding, whether in their school, local community or internationally.

Rotary Young Citizen Environmentalist Award

The Rotary Young Citizen Environmentalist Award reflects Rotary’s commitment to the Environment. It recognises young individuals or groups who are passionate about protecting the environment and are taking action to make a difference.

For further information

Contact info@skiptoncravenrotary.co.uk and we will point you in the right direction