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CCE Photo Contest!

Adult giving child water in a daycare center

Calling all Community Engagement Organization members: the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) invites you to submit photos to be considered for the Community Engagement Photo Contest. Please share your favorite images from experiences grounded in community with the CCE that we will then celebrate and share with others!

Contest Guidelines

  • Photos must be from the 2025-2026 academic year.
  • No more than five submissions per person.
  • People who are identifiable in your photo must sign a media release.
  • Image file sizes should be between 150-300 DPI.
  • Submit as .jpg or TIFF file types.
  • Open submissions through May 4th.
  • Winners will be announced on May 11th.

  • All photos should prioritize the respect, dignity and consent of those being represented. Follow ethical storytelling guidelines and the code of ethics set forth by Photography Without Borders.

Judging Criteria

Photos will be reviewed by a team of CCE Fellows. Consideration will be given to the representation of the community engagement experience, image impact (imagination, poignancy, or “wow”-factor), technical merit, and sensitivity towards the subject (see ethical photography above).

Photo Awards

#1 Best in Show - 

  • Featured on the homepage of the CCE website and Stories from the Field webpage.
  • Print of photo permanently displayed at the CCE’s offices.
  • Shared with Middlebury Community via CCE’s social media.
  • $50 towards declining balance.

2nd and 3rd Runners Up - 

  • Featured on the CCE’s Stories from the Field webpage.
  • Print of photo permanently displayed at the CCE’s offices.
  • Shared with Middlebury Community via CCE’s social media.

Honorable Mentions - 

  • Featured in a virtual photo gallery.

*All photo entries (winners and non-winners) may be used by the Center for Community Engagement for marketing purposes.

How to Submit

All photos must be submitted using the CCE Photo Contest Form. If you are having trouble submitting your photos, please email them along with photo descriptions to communityengagement@middlebury.edu.

FAQs

Any image that encapsulates a meaningful moment inspired by your community work– a photo of a place of connection, a special outing with a mentee, an action shot as a volunteer, a picture of community members working together, being together… We are looking for images that spark a feeling of connection, collaboration, or hope; images that might inspire the viewer to pause and ponder, or to take action and make change. The possibilities may seem endless but the guiding theme is Community Engagement.

Ethical storytelling is how the CCE shares the work of our students, faculty, staff, and community partners. Ethical photography is a major component of ethical storytelling, and it involves portraying the individuals, communities, animals, and spaces in your photos with respect and dignity. It also involves a process of decolonizing the language of photography—moving away from words like subject, shoot, and capture.

To learn more about ethical photography, visit the Photography Without Borders Code of Ethics.

Anyone portrayed in a photo you submit must sign a media release in order for us to use their photos publicly. Please ensure everyone has signed this media release. Photos without a signed media release will not be considered.

The waiver can be accessed by anyone at go.middlebury.edu/ccemedia.