15/12/2025
Dear Rotarians,
As the President of the Bulgarian side of ICC Great Britain and Ireland and Bulgaria, I am pleased to inform you that District 1240 of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) invites us to participate in the international competitions “Rotary Young Photographer” and “Rotary Young Writer”.
These are established initiatives of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI), aimed at encouraging creative writing and photography skills among young people, as well as contributing to building confidence and contact of students with the international Rotary community.
Rotary Young Photographer Competition
The Rotary Young Photographer Competition this year has the theme “Happiness in Nature”. It can be interpreted freely. Participants are encouraged to show through their photography what happiness found in nature means to them – moments, details, emotions, light, colors, atmosphere.
Each participant must:
– take one (1) photograph related to the theme “Happiness in Nature”;
– use a phone or camera – both digital and traditional methods are allowed;
– add a short one sentence explaining how the photo relates to the theme (mandatory – failure to do so will result in disqualification).
Technical requirements
– The photo must be in jpg format, minimum 1500 px on the long side.
– The total size of the submitted files must not exceed 15 MB.
Restrictions
– Photos that are part of an exam/portfolio for school exams are not allowed.
– If the photo contains faces of persons under 18 or adults at risk, a consent form must be attached.
– Plagiarism and use of applications generating an image or parts thereof are prohibited – this leads to disqualification.
Evaluation criteria
– technical quality
– content and composition
– imagination and style
– relevance to the theme
The competition is open to all young people in the following age groups (by age as of August 31, 2025):
– Junior: up to and including 10 years
– Intermediate: 11–13 years
– Senior: 14–17 years
Students in schools, clubs, communities, including RotaKids, Interact, Scouts, other youth organizations or individually participate.
Rotary Young Writer Competition
Rotary Young Writer is a District 1240 RIBI competition that encourages young people to develop their writing, creativity and critical thinking skills. The competition gives participants the opportunity to express their ideas, emotions and perspectives through original text – prose or poetry.
The theme “Happiness in Nature” can be interpreted freely – young writers are invited to show through their text what happiness found in nature means to them personally.
The competition is open to all young people, divided into three age groups (by age as of August 31, 2025):
– Junior: up to 10 years old
– Intermediate: 11–13 years old
– Senior: 14–17 years old
Requirements for the works:
– To write an original text – prose or poetry – with the title “Happiness in Nature”. The work can be fiction or non-fiction, but must be clearly related to the theme.
– Language: English or Bulgarian with a mandatory English translation.
– Length: prose up to 550 words or poetry up to 40 lines.
Entries exceeding these limits will be disqualified.
Other requirements:
– Text can be handwritten or typed, but must be legible.
– Drawings or images are not allowed as part of the entry.
– Entries will not be returned unless specifically requested.
– Originality
Plagiarism and “close copying” will result in immediate disqualification.
The use of applications that generate parts of the text is prohibited.
The jury evaluates:
– imagination and originality
– ability to engage the reader
– logic and consistency (especially in prose)
– relevance to the theme “Happiness in Nature”
The winners of the Bulgarian edition of the competitions will receive an award and a certificate from District 1240. The direct runners-up in both competitions will receive certificates of participation from District 1240. All participants will receive certificates of participation from District 2482.
In the attachments you will find:
– information packages for both competitions;
– official entry forms and instructions for participants.
We call on Rotary clubs in District 2482 to encourage the participation of young people in the community.
All applications (for both competitions) should be submitted to [email protected] with the following requirements regarding the content of the e-mail:
– The subject of the e-mail must contain [RYP] (for Rotary Young Photographer) or [RYW] (for Rotary Young Writer), the category in which the participant is participating and all three names. For example:[RYP] Junior, Georgi Georgiev Georgiev
– Completed and scanned participation form for the respective competition. It is recommended that in addition to the scanned copy, an electronically completed copy be attached.
– The participant’s materials, according to the previously set participation criteria.
Deadline for submitting applications for participation: January 15, 2026.
When promoting the competitions, use the attached materials and direct any questions to the specified email or by phone +359 888 85 66 18. Your activity at the local level will enable talented Bulgarian students to present themselves on the international stage, in partnership with our friends from District 1240!
Let’s show that Rotary unites young talents across borders!
With friendly greetings,
Gergana Georgieva
Chairman of the Bulgarian country ICC GB&I and Bulgaria
Rotary Bulgaria, District 2482
More info at https://rcpi.bg/2025/12/15/young-photographer-and-young-writer-competition/
