The KEI Photo and Story Contests provide a venue for KEI alumni to share their experiences abroad through visual and narrative story telling. Sharing your experience with friends, family and future program participants is one of the best ways to reduce post-program blues and re-entry shock and relive your experiences abroad. Contest finalists receive a $250 US prize, and have their submissions showcased in print and digital literature.
Students are required to submit an �artist book� illustrating their experience(s) abroad. The artist book must consist of 5 to 8 photographs accompanied by a 1- or 2-sentence explanation of each photo. Together, the photographs and accompanying text must be sequenced to tell a visual story of your experience. The artist book can also consist of a sequence of short video clips with audio narration. The entire video cannot exceed 2 minutes.
The artist book can concentrate on a particular event or activity, or take a broader perspective and describe your overall experience abroad; it can emphasize academic, professional, cultural and/or social component(s) of the program; it can also describe your pre-departure, on-site and/or post-program experience.
Note: emphasis must be placed on the visual representation, not the textual and/or audio explanation.
Students may enter more than one artist book. However, each artist book must showcase a different experience. In addition, several students can form a group and submit the artist book(s) as one entity; if the group wins, it will be treated as a single individual and the prize divided equally among the group members.
Examples
There are numerous possibilities for story telling. Just think of your favorite or most memorable experience(s) and showcase it with photos/video and narration. Below are just a few examples:
Academic Experience
Photo 1: Meeting art faculty and staff at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice
Photo 2: Field trip to Rome with your Art History professor
Photo 3: Binding an artist book in the printmaking workshop
Photo 4: Painting the Renaldo Bridge en plein air under the Venetian light
Photo 5: Attending an art show at the Academia Museum
Photo 6: Displaying your work at the Scuola�s art show
Cultural Experience
Video Clip 1: On the train from Moscow to St. Petersburg with the On-Site Coordinator and KEI participants
Video Clip 2: Standing in amazement at the Hermitage Museum
Video Clip 3: Taking a ride on the boat through the canals of St. Petersburg
Video Clip 4: Group excursion to the Kirov Ballet
Video Clip 5: Having a group dinner at a local restaurant
Video Clip 6: Building a human pyramid in front of the statue Peter the Great
Professional Experience
Photo 1: Meeting with the advisor at your school to discuss credit transfer for your clinical internship
Photo 2: Meeting with your supervising physician at the hospital
Photo 3: Your first day making rounds at the hospital
Photo 4: Discussing the history and possible treatment of a patient with your supervising physician
Photo 5: Observing an operation in the OR
Photo 5: Sharing your clinical experience with professors and peers at your home university
Social Experience
Photo 1: Meeting Spanish students
Photo 2: Hanging-out and eating ice cream with friends at an outdoor caf� in the Plaza Mayor
Photo 3: Playing soccer with Americans and Spaniards
Photo 4: Riding bicycles in a park
Photo 5: Dancing with friends at a nightclub
Photo 6: Joking around at a birthday party
Photo 7: Saying goodbye to your new friends
Photo 8: Writing an e-mail to your Spanish friends when you return home
Evaluation
Your artist book will be evaluated based on the following criteria.
How well does your artist book tell the story of your experience.
How well does each photo/video clip contribute to the overall story; photos of students are especially welcomed.
Clarity, quality and composition of your images.
How well you followed the submission requirements.
It is important that your photos and narration tell a story of your personal experience. Don't rely solely on landscape photos. As beautiful as they may be, if the photos do not showcase your experience they will not make for a good artist book. Be personal. Preference will be given to photos/video that include people. The artist book should focus on only one story. However, students are encouraged to submit several artist books.
Story Contest Guidelines
Students are required to submit a �story book� describing their experience(s) abroad. The story book must consist of a textual narration accompanied by 1 to 3 photos that showcase the story. The textual narration must be between 500 and 1000 words. Note: emphasis should be on the narrative, not the photos. The story book can concentrate on a particular event or activity, or take a broader perspective and describe your overall experience; it can emphasize academic, professional, cultural and/or social component(s) of the program; it can also describe your pre-departure, on-site and/or post-program experience. Just think of your favorite and most memorable experience(s).
Students may enter more than one story book. However, each story book must focus on a different experience. In addition, several students can form a group and submit the story book(s) as one entity; if the group wins, the group will be treated as a single individual and the prize divided equally among the group members.
Evaluation
Your story book will be evaluated based on the following criteria.
How well does your story describe your personal or group experience?
Clarity, quality and composition of your narrative.
Is the story engaging and of particular value to future participants?
How well does the supporting photo(s) contribute to the story?
How well you followed the submission requirements?
It is important that your story describes a personal or group experience. Your story book should focus on only one experience. However, students are encouraged to submit several story books.
Deadline, Requirements & Mailing Address
Entries for both contests must be received by KEI not later than the deadline dates listed below. The Contest is held twice a year. If received after the deadline date, the submission will be considered for the following contest, six months later. Finalists are announced approximately two months after each deadline date. The winning artist and story books will be published on the KEI website and printed in program literature.
Deadlines: September 15 or March 15
Submission Requirements
Students can submit multiple artist books and/or story books.
Text narration must be submitted in digital format as an MS Word file on a CD or as an email attachment.
Photographs can be submitted in one of three ways: (1) as 35mm color prints, measuring 3� x 5� or 4" x 6"; (2) as color slide transparencies; or (3) in digital format on a CD. All digital images must be in .bmp or .tif file format, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. The method of submission must be consistent for all photos received. Textual descriptions must be clearly marked with each photograph.
All video must be digitized and submitted on a CD/DVD. Video must be taken at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Audio narration must be dubbed over the video to correspond with each clip. Smooth transition between clips is strongly recommended.
Your photos, video and/or text narration can not include profanity, vulgar activities, alcohol and/or drugs, nudity and sexual content. Submissions that don�t follow guidelines will be automatically disqualified.
On a separate piece of paper write your first and last name. If submitting the artist/story book as a group, include the first and last name of each group member. Include the KEI program location and term in which you studied abroad.
Mail your entries to:
Attention: Photo / Story Contest
Knowledge Exchange Institute
111 John Street, Suite 800
New York, NY 10038 USA
Release
By submitting your artist book and/or story book to Knowledge Exchange Institute, you grant KEI the right and permission to use all photographs, video, audio and text in promotional materials and publicity efforts, which include, but not limited to, printed literature, direct mailings, print ads, e-mail, internet, and CD/DVD publications. You further understand that your artist book and/or story book will not be returned to you and will remain the property of KEI. Permission is further granted to KEI to copyedit the submitted text.
