Enter the Elon Global Photo and Video Contest

By Shanna Van Beek, staff

April 26, 2021

Accepting submissions until May 2! Submissions do NOT need to be from just the past year.

NOTE: The deadline for entries has been extended to May 2. 

Elon students, alumni, faculty and staff are invited to submit to the annual Elon Global Photo and Video Contest. Submissions are due Sunday, May 2.

The contest comprises 10 categories and will feature 14 winners.

2020 PRESIDENT’S PICK: Macy Kaul ‘21 From Macy: “This photo was taken at the end of a difficult hike up to the top of a stunning waterfall. We had just heard the news that many study abroad sites were being shut down around the globe and we knew we would be getting word of the status of our program soon. This picture represents grit because in the midst of uncertainty and fear, I looked out over a beautiful landscape and did my Superman pose because I felt strong. I was ready to be knocked down and I was ready to fight.” From President Connie Ledoux Book: “I love that Macy’s photo, submitted to the ‘resilience’ category, shows a moment of triumph and strength in the face of adversity. Macy’s courage, resilience and her expanded worldview are clearly expressed in this photo.” Program: Tanzania – Iringa: Community Development, Language & Culture (CIEE), spring 2020.

Categories are either by theme, meaning any Elon student, alumni, faculty or staff (current or emeritx) may submit, or by participant, which is open to those that fit the category.

See full contest details here. 

By Theme:

  • Resilience – Photos that celebrate the many facets of “resilience” — grit, compassion, flexibility, support, courage, authenticity, or your own interpretation. Photos that find the silver lining, or recognize the helpers, or show the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
  • Global Engagement – Photos that portray what global engagement means to you. This could be how an opportunity or challenge shaped your intercultural development, how your actions affected the community around you, or other moments of engaged global learning.
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – photos that disrupt stereotypes in global education. This could be showcasing study abroad or Study USA participation by historically minoritized populations, or uprooting stereotypes, or otherwise challenging damaging myths (e.g. white savior complex, appropriation, etc.).
  • Striking Scenes – photos that make you pause and consider the wonder of the world. From a sweeping landscape to a bustling street – moments that made you stop in your tracks just to be where you are.
  • Video – (no more than 60 seconds) that encapsulates what global education means to you. We’re not looking for polished, heavily edited submissions; rather, we’re looking for video moments of global engagement.

By Participant:

  • International Community – entries from those having their international experience right here at Elon, or attending Elon from their home country. The international community at Elon is vibrant and dynamic, including students from over 45 different countries studying in the U.S. on a student visa, Americans and dual citizens that have significant lived experience abroad, those that have chosen to become permanent residents of the U.S., and others. Submit a photo of your international experience at Elon or from your home outside of the U.S.
  • Study USA – entries from Elon Study USA participants (current students or alumni) taken on a Study USA program (a Study USA Center or short-term program).
  • Graduate Programs – entries from Elon’s graduate participants, including Business (MBA), Business Analytics (M.S.), Accounting (M.S.), Interactive Media (M.A.), Education (M.Ed.), Higher Education (MHE), Physician Assistant Studies (MS), Physical Therapy (DPT), and Law (J.D.). Submit photos from your Elon global experiences, whether that’s on campus or on study abroad.
  • Alumni – entries from Elon alumni from study abroad or Study USA in years past or showcasing global impact in experiences following Elon (e.g. living abroad, working in globally focused fields, etc.).
  • Faculty and Staff – entries from Elon faculty and staff (current and emeritx) showcasing global learning. From leading a short-term program or serving as faculty in residence at an Elon Center, to participating on the staff advisory council global engagement program, to mentoring independent research or service globally – we know global learning takes many shapes at Elon, and we want to celebrate all the ways faculty and staff help make this happen.
2020 GEC STAFF PICK: Mary Stallsmith ‘22“To me, global engagement means stepping out of my comfort zone to see things from the perspective of those I wish to learn about. The desert hike that my class took walked a route that migrants would take to cross the border. We left water and supplies for them at various stops along the route. While the desert was beautiful, but I couldn’t stop thinking of all the pain and fear endured there. I think it was so important for us to experience that together, helping each other up when we fell, sharing water. This was the most impactful experience of the Jterm course and I know that many of my classmates can say the same.”Program: GBL 2040 Arizona US/Mexico Borderlands: Culture, Environment, and Immigration

Ways to Win

All submissions are eligible to win their category and advance to the final round of voting for the overall winner (with a grand prize of a $350 flight voucher courtesy of Direct Travel!).

All submissions are also automatically considered for:

  • Direct Travel Staff Pick
  • GEC Staff Pick
  • President’s Pick

Submissions welcome from all terms and experiences — those that make us reminisce about global experiences before COVID-19, and those that make us think about what “global” means during and after COVID-19.

While this may be a challenging subject for those whose global plans may have shifted, it also presents an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate global engagement, however that takes shape. Last year, the contest was expanded to include a “Resilience” theme category. The Elon community flooded this category with submissions of grit, compassion, flexibility, support, courage, and authenticity.

Voting takes place on Facebook April 30 to May 6 and on Instagram May 7 to 11.

Learn more from the Elon Global Photo and Video Contest Webpage.

Posted in: Global Engagement

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