Take a stroll around the world with Study Abroad international photo contest

Are you feeling the winter blahs and are ready to get inspired? Then head on down to the MacEwan Hall north courtyard this week, Feb. 13  to 15, to vote for your favourite international photos from our students.

• Pictured above is A Small Fishing Village. The photo is by Jessica Wry, one of the 2017 international photo contest winners.

Every winter, the Study Abroad Office hosts a popular international photo contest open to all current students. A panel of judges evaluates the photos for composition, style, creativity, and expression of international experience. The campus community is also invited to vote for their favourite photos on social media or by visiting the Study Abroad photo contest exhibit in the MacEwan Hall north courtyard. Winners and prizes will be announced in late February.

“For this year’s competition, we wanted the photos to focus on people, place, and bucket list items,” says Colleen Packer, director, international learning programs. “We wanted to see how students engage with the world around them through their travels.”

This year’s award categories include:

• Best People Photo: national geographic-style photos (portraits or action shots)
• Best Place Photo: landscapes, cityscapes or monuments (urban or rural)
• Best Bucket List Item Photo: photos showcasing students checking off their bucket list item abroad
• Best Overall: top two photos in the above-mentioned categories
• People’s Choice: two images chosen by the campus community (one paper ballot and one via social media)

“The photo contest gives students a chance to showcase the amazing people and places they’ve encountered while studying abroad, and gives the campus community just a taste of the unforgettable experiences that studying abroad can provide,” says Packer. “We want it to inspire other students to look into all of the ways they can internationalize their degree and see that there really is something for everyone.”

If you are interested in studying abroad, now is the best time to apply for funding, with awards of $1,000 to $7,500 available. Funding deadlines are coming up at the end of February as well as mid-March. Learn more about funding opportunities.

There are still spots available to study abroad in spring, summer or fall, but the programs are filling up quickly. Apply today.