More than fifty stories submitted, a strong participation of middle and high school students and a theme capable of stimulating reflections on the present and the future: the fourth edition of the contest ended with the award ceremony at the Grotto Linet in Chiasso. Literary Contest promoted by the Kiwanis Club Mendrisiotto, an initiative dedicated to students from schools in Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio.
The 2025-2026 edition revolved around the theme "Nature Speaks," a theme chosen to encourage children and young people to question the relationship between humanity, the environment, and climate change. Through stories, reflections, and creative writing, students imagined what nature might communicate to humanity in an era marked by resource exploitation, extreme weather events, and ever-accelerating technological transformation.
The awards ceremony marked the culmination of a journey that, year after year, is consolidating its role in the local educational and cultural landscape. What stood out, according to the organizers, was the young participants' ability to address complex issues with sensitivity and originality.
A project born to enhance writing and creativity
The competition was launched four years ago with the aim of offering young people a space dedicated to personal expression and creative writing. Each edition features a different theme, designed to stimulate engagement with contemporary issues and encourage reflection on individual and collective experiences.
In 2023, the club's fortieth anniversary, the inaugural theme was "With Us, or Social?" In 2024, the focus shifted to the value of play with "Playing is Life, but Is Life a Game?", while in 2025, the initiative attracted record participation thanks to the theme "The Future I Would Like," with over ninety young people participating.
This year, the environmental theme led many students to address highly topical issues. Despite the lower participation of elementary school students, the overall number of submissions confirmed the growing interest in the project.
The jury and the selection criteria
The stories were evaluated by an intergenerational jury composed of Barbara Iocchi, Gaia Bricalli, Jaquinta De Filip, and Yuri Lupi. The jurors selected the most significant, original, and engaging entries, subsequently recommending the awarding of prizes by school category.
According to the organizers, the quality of the texts presented highlighted a significant expressive maturity and a particular attention to environmental and social issues.
The winners of the fourth edition
For the elementary school category, the award went to Adelaide Coduri.
In the middle school category, classes I-II, the awards went to Oliver Boggia, Sophie Barberis, and Nicolò Bertolina.
For the third-fourth grades of middle school, the awards were given to Denise Rango, Dariia Krythanska, Yari Fagone and the couple composed of Cesare Schmidig and Tommaso Giallongo.
In the high school category, Matilde Terzi, Giada Bin and Caterina Dotti were awarded.
Kiwanis's commitment to new generations
The Kiwanis Club of Mendrisiotto is part of Kiwanis International, a nonprofit organization active in over eighty countries and committed to projects dedicated to children and youth. Founded in 1915 in Detroit by businessman Allen S. Browne, the movement has gradually evolved from a professional support network to an organization focused on civic and social service.
Today, Kiwanis has more than 600 members worldwide and promotes thousands of charitable activities, fundraisers, and educational initiatives each year. Its international motto, "Serving the children of the world," continues to be the association's guiding principle.
The movement's founding goals include enhancing human and spiritual values, promoting civic responsibility, supporting community growth, and encouraging relationships based on solidarity and mutual respect.
Even through the literary competition, the Kiwanis Club Mendrisiotto It aims to offer young people concrete opportunities for cultural participation and personal growth, encouraging dialogue between generations and giving space to the ideas of the youngest.
In his closing message, the president of the Kiwanis Club Mendrisiotto, Luca Cimaglia, reiterated the club's commitment to continuing to support talent, creativity, and educational programs that engage the local community and new generations.
