Application Deadline: May 31st 2019

Showcase your work globally! This photo contest provides you, as a young changemaker, a global platform to show the impact of your changemaking activities. We will award ten prizes to the best photos that demonstrate how your work creates a positive impact in your community. 

We are looking for creative and high-quality photos that tell a powerful story of how you are achieving impact in your community, however you define that community—your neighborhood, your district, your school or university, your country….or the planet.

Requirements:

The competition is open to all members of the public who are:

• Citizens of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as listed here;
• Aged 18-35 during the Entry Period; and
• Members of YouthLead with a member profile that is at least 80% complete. Becoming a member of YouthLead is easy and free. All Entrants must be successfully registered on YouthLead. As registration may take two business days (defined as Monday to Friday) to process, all YouthLead.org registration requests must be submitted at least 4 business days prior to the end of the Entry Period to ensure timely approval for entering the contest. Create your profile in English here and in Spanish here.

Note: YouthLead Sponsor employees, employees of YouthPower Learning’s prime- and subcontractors, and USAID staff are not eligible to enter or win a prize.

CONTEST PRIZES

1. 1st Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize of $300, 6 months of mentorship (consultation once a month, one hour each) from a YouthLead mentor, and photo featured on YouthLead.org.
2. 2nd Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize $200, 6 months of mentorship (consultation once a month, one hour each) from a YouthLead mentor, and photo featured on YouthLead.org.
3. 3rd Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize $100, 6 months of mentorship (consultation once a month, one hour each) from a YouthLead mentor, and photo featured on YouthLead.org.
4. 4th-10th Place Winners – photo featured on YouthLead.org and a one-time private consultation (1 hour) on their project with a YouthLead mentor.
5. If a winner does not respond within seven (7) days of notification, the Sponsor may, at its discretion, select one of the Runners Up as a Prize Winner.
6. The monetary prize will be transferred through a legal bank transfer if feasible, which will be determined between the winner and the YouthLead team.
7. The consultation Prize will be coordinated with the YouthLead team over e-mail. Winners may accept a partial prize.
8. Photos of Runners Up will be displayed on the YouthLead Platform.
9. The Sponsor reserves the right to award fewer, none, or additional prizes

Changemakers aged 18-35 are eligible to submit up to three photos each for consideration. The deadline for submission is Friday, May 31, 2019. Review the instructions below on how to participate, eligibility criteria, and prizes.  Good luck—we look forward to seeing how you achieve impact!

Submission Requirements:

1. All photos submitted must be the original work of the Entrant (that is, taken by the Entrant him/herself), and relate to an activity that the Entrant is directly involved as a changemaker.
2. Entries will only be accepted through the YouthLead platform at www.youthlead.org. Entries submitted in any other manner will not be considered. Entries must be submitted using the YouthLead online entry form during the Entry Period.
3. By entering the photo contest, Entrants agree and acknowledge that Making Cents International, the implementer of YouthPower Learning and YouthLead, is permitted to receive and review the Entrant’s registration data. All personal information will be used by YouthPower Learning in accordance with the Privacy Policy on YouthLead and the Photo Contest rules.
4. Photos must have been taken between April 1, 2016 and the Contest deadline.
5. Photos must be high-resolution, high-quality digital photos that are at least 1024 pixels or larger (tall or wide) or around 300 pixels per inch. Please send the highest resolution photo possible in a JPG or JPEG format, and no smaller than 1MB and no larger than 10MB. If you are using Photoshop, please send only level 7 or higher compressed photos. Photos submitted in other formats, or outside this size range, will not be considered.
6. Entry into the photo contest is free and does not require any purchase.
7. Photos must not contain any infringing, threatening, false, misleading, abusive, harassing, libelous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic or profane content. Any photos deemed to be containing such content will not be considered, and anyone submitting such photos is subject to removal of their profiles and membership privileges from the YouthLead platform.
8. Photos must not contain any material that could constitute or encourage conduct which would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law. Any photos deemed to be containing such content will not be considered, and anyone submitting such photos are subject to removal of their profiles and membership privileges from the YouthLead platform.
9. Entrants are required to acknowledge and agree that no animals were harmed or manipulated in the making of any photo submitted.

SPONSOR

The Sponsor of the YouthLead Photo Contest (“Contest”) is YouthPower Learning, a project funded by the US Agency for International Development implemented by Making Cents International and its partners and YouthLead sponsors.

ENTRY PERIOD

The YouthLead Photo Contest begins on May 2, 2019, and ends on May 31, 2019, at 6 P.M., Eastern Time (the “Entry Period”). Submissions must be made online as no mailed entries (electronic or hard copy) will be accepted.

HOW TO ENTER

Step 1:  Register on YouthLead (go to Step 2 if you are already a member!)

You must be a registered YouthLead member to participate in the contest. Register in English here and in Spanish here. Allow for at least two business days for your profile to be accepted by the platform, at which time you may submit your photos for consideration up to the submission deadline. (Note: As registration may take two business days (defined as Monday to Friday) to process, all YouthLead.org registration requests must be submitted at least 4 business days prior to the end of the Entry Period to ensure timely approval for entering the contest).

Step 2: Log into YouthLead

Participating is easy! Go to the “Events” page, and click on “Enter photo contest” to begin your photo contest submission. Entrants may submit up to three entries. You must create a separate photo submission for each entry.

Step 3:  Upload your Photo(s)

Upload a photo that highlights your project or activities and exhibits the impact you’ve made as a young changemaker. The impact may be at a local, district, national, global or other level. Note: please do not submit blurry photos, photos with low resolution (pixelated and imprecise images), selfies, or welfies. This does not preclude the submitter appearing in the photo but we ask that you not be the focus of the photo.

Name your JPG or JPEG file as follows: YL_Photographer’s Given Name_Photographer’s Surname_Photo Title

Follow the on-screen instructions and fill all fields thoroughly.

You will need the following information to complete the upload form.

o   A title of your photo, month and year when it was taken.

o   Location where the photo was taken (country, city/village).

o   A description (between 600-1,500 characters) of the photo, explaining how the photo depicts the changemaking impact that you or your project is having. This is an important component of your entry. The text should explain how your activities are tied to the impact. All descriptions must be submitted in English or Spanish. Submissions in other languages will not be accepted.

o   Determine the photo’s most relevant sector(s) (e.g., food security, education, governance, food sustainability, health).

Each Entrant may upload up to three photos; a separate entry is required for each.

Step 4:  Accept the Terms and Conditions and Hit Submit.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the USAID YouthLead Photo Contest 2019