Youth Competitions
Rotary Competitions for Young People
Competitions
Rotary hosts a number of annual competitions enabling thousands of young people to test and develop their skills and talents in a range of disciplines.
Participation in the competitions is restricted to children and young people aged 17 or under (i.e. 18th Birthday on or after 1st September).
Some competitions are divided into age ranges and skill levels.
Age Groups for Rotary Competitions 2026-27
Download the Age Group Guidance PDF Here
Who can take part in the competitions?
Students, whether at formal schools or being home educated, community youth organisations such as Scout Groups/Girl Guides and Members of RotaKids & Interact.
There are two types of competitions:
- Those requiring physical attendance and practical participation at a venue (e.g. Young Chef, Youth Speaks, Young Musician & Technology Tournament)
- Competitions involving submission of material to a central venue (e.g. Young Photographer, Young Artist, Young Environmentalist & Young Writer)
Competition Stages
For Young Chef and Young Musician the process is the same:
- Competitions begin at club level
- The winners proceed to a District competition
- District winners go on to a Regional final
- Regional finalists are put forward to the National final
For Young Photographer, Young Artist & Young Writer:
- Competitions begin at club level
- The winners proceed to a District competition
- District winners are put forward to the National final
- Competitions begin at club level for individuals or Teams of between 2 & 12
- The winners proceed to a District Final
- There is no National final
For Youth Speaks
- Competitions begin at club level
- The winners proceed to a District Final
- There is no National final
- There are only club level Competitions.
Entry to Competitions
Entry to all Rotary competitions is via your local Rotary club.
To find your local Rotary Club use this Club Finder Tool and enter in your postcode
Competition Dates for 2026-27
Young Chef
Club competitions completed during August to September 2026. Entries to District Round to organiser by 1st January 2027. District Final 6th February 2027 at Loughborough College.
Young Musician
Club competitions completed during August to September 2026. Entries to District Round to organiser by 1st January 2027. District Final 23rd January 2027 at Uppingham Community College (TBC)
Youth Speaks
Entries for District Round to the organiser by 18th February.
Closing date for Club heats 28th February 2027. All entries to the District organiser by 31st March.
Young Artist
Closing date for Club heats 28th February 2027. All entries to the District organiser by 31st March.
Young Writer
Entries to the District round to the organiser by 28th February 2027
Young Environmentalist
Entries for District final to the organiser by 31st January 2027
Further Information
View and download the 2026-27 "Empowering Youth" Booklet for Junior Students
View and download the 2026-27 "Empowering Youth" Booklet for Senior Students
The 2026-27 information packs for the Public
Young Artist Info Pack & Poster
Young Musician Info Pack & Poster
Young Photographer Info Pack & Poster
Young Writer Info Pack & Poster
Young Environmentalist Info Pack & Poster
Youth Speaks Info Pack & Poster
Club & Members information and application forms
Please visit the Members Only Pages Here
Contact David Kendrick about this page:
Youth Competitions pages:
Young Chef
more The Rotary Young Chef competition gives entrants the chance to develop their culinary skills and be judged by leading industry professionals. (3 pages below this)
Young Artist
more Giving young painters, illustrators and artists the chance to showcase their creative flair (2 pages below this)
Young Photographer
more Putting Great Britain & Ireland’s aspiring young photographers to the test (1 page below this)
Young Writer
more Show your writing skills and let your imagination run wild! (1 page below this)
Young Musician
more Celebrating the talents of vocalists and instrumentalists across Great Britain & Ireland (3 pages below this)
Young Environmentalist
more Providing young people the chance to engage with the environment and address serious issues (1 page below this)
Youth Speaks
more Get a team together to master the art of public speaking presenting on a topic of your choice
Technology Tournaments
more Rotary Technology Tournaments are a challenging and enjoyable way for young people to enrich their STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). (1 page below this)