Contest Sponsor

The U.S. Exchange Alumni Citizen Diplomacy Challenge is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (the "Contest Sponsor").

Description of Contest Objectives

The U.S. Exchange Alumni Citizen Diplomacy Challenge aims to showcase how U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs build mutual understanding and advance U.S. foreign policy by expanding and strengthening the relationship between the people of the United States and foreign citizens. The Citizen Diplomacy Challenge photo contest encourages U.S. alumni to share photos from their exchange, encouraging others to pursue opportunities for international education and exchange. The contest will award one grand prize to the submitter of the top photo, as well as recognition to 20 runners-up. By providing an opportunity for U.S. alumni to share their experiences, the Citizen Diplomacy Challenge promotes cultural awareness and enhances Americans’ understanding of the world.

Platform(s)

Events from this contest may be announced and promoted on various social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram, but contest entry and administration will primarily take place through submissions on the International Exchange Alumni website (http://alumni.state.gov), a dynamic and interactive networking website for past and current participants of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs.

How to Enter

To enter the contest, alumni will choose an original, still photo taken during their exchange experience that showcases the value of international exchange. All photos must include a title and a short (1-3 sentence) caption in English which explains how the photo illustrates a concrete benefit of international exchange programs. Photos that include exchange participants within the frame and action shots that show engagement with the local culture are strongly preferred.

To submit, alumni will upload their photo and caption to their personal social media account (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), tag @Exchange Alumni, and include the hashtags #CitizenDiplomacy and #IEW2017. Submissions must then be shared with ECA through an online submission form which includes the following information: (i) Full Name, (ii) E-mail, (iii) International Exchange Alumni Account, (iv) Link to Photo (v), Uploaded Photo, (vi) Photo Title, (vii) Photo Caption, and (viii) a Privacy Act Statement.

Once a photograph is submitted, it is considered a final submission and may not be modified, edited, or replaced. Individual contestants may submit no more than two photos, and each photo must be submitted through a separate form. If more than two photos are submitted, only the first two submissions will be honored.

Participation in this contest is deemed as acceptance of these Official Challenge Rules. A submission must be an original photograph digital or analog, taken by the contestant.

The competition timeline is as follows:

  • Challenge commences at noon EDT on November 1, 2017 and closes at 11:59 PM EST on November 19, 2017.  Online voting on Facebook will take place from November 29 – December 13, 2017. Judging begins on January 10, 2018 and ends on January 22, 2018.

Content Requirements

  1. Submissions must not contain obscenity, explicit sexual material, nudity, profanity, graphic violence, calls or incitement to violence, commercial solicitation, or commercial promotion. Submissions must conform to local law and must not contain content or images that could be considered abusive, inflammatory, denigrating, or disrespectful to the Contest Sponsor, or to any groups, individuals or institutions. Submissions must adhere both in appearance and in fact to the norms of civil discourse. In other words, the content of all submissions must be suitable for a global, public audience.
  2. Submissions must be original content created or owned by the contestant and must not contain any elements that are protected by someone else’s copyright or otherwise subject to third party intellectual property or proprietary rights, including privacy and publicity rights (except as expressly permitted below in (d)). Contest Sponsor recognizes no allowance for “fair use” of copyrighted material, nor does Contest Sponsor recognize allowance for use of licensed materials created or owned by a third party.
  3. Contest Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify, at its sole and absolute discretion, any submission that does not adhere to these criteria and to the intent and substance of these Official Challenge Rules.
  4. In the event of any question or difference of views regarding compliance with, interpretation, or application of these content requirements or other provisions of these Official Challenge Rules, Contest Sponsor reserves the exclusive right to resolve such questions or differences of views in their sole discretion.
  5. By submitting a photograph to the contest, the contestant affirms that he or she has obtained written consent from all individuals whose image or likeness appears in the photograph or video (or from the individuals’ parent/legal guardian if any such individuals are considered a minor in their country of residence), and that he or she has obtained the necessary rights, licenses, consents, and permissions to use all material such as music, images, text and other content in the submission. The contestant further affirms that he or she is prepared to provide reliable documentation of any and all such consents, licenses, etc., upon request. Failure to obtain such rights, license consents, and permissions, or failure to provide proof of such items upon request, may result in the disqualification of the submission in the Contest Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion.

Technical Format Requirements

Photo submissions must be in .JPEG, .jpg, or .png format, 200-300 dpi/ppi. Submissions should not have any visible watermarks, signatures, or personally identifiable information

Retouching of Photos: Images that have been retouched by the contestant using software or by other means will be accepted. Retouched photography using a camera app or photo editing app is also accepted. Both color and monotone images will be accepted. Cropping is permitted, as is modest darkening or lightening of parts of the image.

Eligibility

  1. Contestants must be at least 18 years old on the date of entry into the contest. Contestants must be U.S. citizens who have completed a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program prior to the close of the competition on November 19, 2017. In order to be eligible for the grand prize, contestants must reside in the United States and the ticket to Washington, DC must originate from a domestic U.S. destination.
  2. The individual submitting the entries will be considered the contestant and will be the only individual eligible to compete for the prize. Organizations are not eligible to compete for the prize, either as an entity, or through representation by an individual. In order to be eligible for the prize, the contestant must provide complete and accurate information.
  3. The following individuals are not eligible to participate in the contest: Employees, interns, directors, and officers of the Contest Sponsor, the Platform(s), or the U.S. Government; or any employees, interns, directors, officers of any agencies, companies or entities involved in the administration, advertising, judging, creation, development, execution, and/or fulfillment of the contest, and the immediate family members (defined as spouse, recognized partner, parent, child, sibling, and spouse or "step" of each) and those living in the same household of each such individual.
  4. Once a submission has been accepted for entry into the contest, the contestant’s name (or User ID, if the contestant wishes to remain anonymous) and exchange program may be publicly identified at the sole discretion of the contestants.

Selection of a Winner

  1. All submissions are subject to pre-screening by Contest Sponsor to ensure compliance with these Official Challenge Rules. Any submissions that are not in compliance with these rules will not be posted. Contest Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to whether a potential finalist or potential winning submission has fully complied with these Official Challenge Rules before posting to the contest site, awarding prize, recognizing as winner, etc.
  2. Judges:The contest jury is comprised of a panel of three Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs staff, including members of the Office of Alumni Affairs, the Office of Public Affairs and Strategic Communications, and relevant exchange program offices.
  3. Judging Criteria:All submissions will be screened by the Contest Sponsor to ensure compliance with these Official Challenge Rules. The Contest Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to determine whether a submission has fully complied with these Official Challenge Rules.
    • Photos will be judged on the following standards:
      • Effectiveness: Does your photo and the accompanying caption clearly illustrate a benefit of international exchange programs? An effective photo will feature one or more exchange participants in the frame, involve subjects in action, and show engagement with the local culture or community.
      • Originality: Is your photo original, fresh, or inventive?
      • Creativity: How imaginative is your photo? A creative photo breaks from traditional methods of presenting ideas and messages. For example, is the photo taken from an unexpected angle or focus on a detail that is usually ignored? Avoid simple snapshots of groups of people or buildings.
      • Photo Quality: Is your photo aesthetically pleasing? A high quality photo is well composed and has a clear focal point. It should not be blurry, too dark or too light.
    • Submissions will be judged on the following standards:
      • Effectiveness: Does your submission effectively address the theme #StudyAbroadBecause and provide a compelling story which captures the value and importance of international exchange? An effective submission will not only explain a particular benefit derived from studying abroad, but also show how international experience contributed to how the submitter changed personally or professionally as a result of their experience. An effective submission includes descriptions and illustrative anecdotes to make its point. It will be vivid and detailed and resonate with readers.
      • Creativity: Is your work creative and fresh and explain the benefits of international exchange in a new or unexpected light?
      • Photo Quality: Is your photo aesthetically pleasing? A high quality photo is well composed and has a clear focal point. It should not be blurry, too dark or too light.
  4. The Contest Sponsor will evaluate the submissions for the U.S. Exchange Alumni Citizen Diplomacy Challenge Photo Contest and select one (1) grand prize winner and 20 runners-up. All scoring of the submissions will be within the sole discretion of the contest judges. Up to 50 finalist photos will be posted on a Facebook album for online voting via ‘likes’. The 10 photos which receive the most ‘likes’ will be automatically considered for the final prize. The grand prize and runners-up will be selected by a panel of three Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs staff. The winner and runners-up will be announced and posted on the Citizen Diplomacy Challenge site and Facebook page the week of January 22, 2018. Once the winners have been selected, a winner’s name and state may be publicly identified at the sole discretion of the winner.
  5. Winners: Each winner will be required to sign and return to Contest Sponsor a statement of eligibility and liability/publicity release, and provide a short bio (where applicable); otherwise the winner will be ineligible for any prize. In addition, the grand prize winner may be required to sign additional documents provided by the Contest Sponsor; otherwise the grand prize winner will be ineligible for the prize. Winners may be announced on the International Exchange Alumni website and/or social media pages. Winners and finalists may choose to use an alias instead of their real name and may request other identifying information to be kept private.
  6. Winners will be notified via the e-mail address they provided upon entry. The inability of Contest Sponsor to contact a potential winner may result in disqualification and/or selection of an alternate winner from among all remaining eligible submissions.

Prize(s)

  1. One (1) grand prize winner will receive the grand prize: a two-day trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the photo exhibit at the United States Diplomacy Center and to be honored at an official awards ceremony. The grand prize winner will also have an opportunity to share their exchange experiences with senior State Department officials and local alumni and students. Transportation, accommodation, and per diem will be covered for the duration of the trip.
  2. Twenty (20) runner-up photos will also be selected to be displayed during a curated exhibit at the United States Diplomacy Center in Washington, DC. Winning and runner up photos will be printed and displayed, along with a short biography about the submitter and the photo title and caption. Winning photos will also be printed in a book which will be distributed to senior Department of State officials and sent to each runner-up.
  3. The winner and runners-up will also receive global recognition through special features on the International Exchange Alumni and other Department of State websites.
  4. Each winner must provide a valid physical mailing address where a prize, if any, is to be shipped. Contest Sponsor is not responsible for any problems related to the shipping of any prize, including, but not limited to, theft, delay, damage, or destruction/accidental loss by the shipping carrier.
  5. Any unused portion of the prize is not transferable, convertible, or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash. All taxes on or in connection with any prize, and the reporting consequences thereof, are the sole and exclusive responsibility of the winner.

Liability and Rights

  1. Contest Sponsor does not endorse any submissions or messages expressed therein, and Contest Sponsor expressly disclaims any and all liability in connection with the submitted entries including disputes between collaborators related to a submission.
  2. The contest and its sponsors do not permit copyright infringing activities or infringement of any other intellectual property rights, and Contest Sponsor reserves the right to remove and disqualify any submission they deem to be in violation of another party's copyright or other intellectual property rights.
  3. Contestants retain sole ownership of their original work. The submission remains the intellectual property of contestant, and the Contest Sponsor and U.S. Government make no claim of copyright as to the work of any individual who enters the contest. Contestant specifically agrees to give the Contest Sponsor’s permission to use all content submitted for purposes of judging the contest. Finalists and/or winners will be required to grant Contest Sponsor, with proper attribution through whatever means they deem appropriate, a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sub-licensable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, and/or display the submission in any media formats and through any media channels in perpetuity in connection with the activities and operations of the contest.
  4. Contestant assumes sole responsibility for the contest submission and the material contained in it, and for any consequences of submitting or posting it.
  5. Contest Sponsor reserves the right at any time, to verify the validity of entries and of contestants and to disqualify any contestant or entry deemed not in compliance with these Official Challenge Rules. Contest Sponsor also reserves the right to request further documentation, at their sole and absolute discretion, to verify eligibility and compliance with these Official Challenge Rules.
  6. If a prize or any portion thereof, is unavailable, Contest Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to substitute the prize with another prize of equal or greater value and/or specification.
  7. Contest Sponsor reserves the right, at any time and in its sole discretion, to disqualify and/or deem ineligible any individual who they reasonably believe (i) has violated the Official Challenge Rules; (ii) has violated the terms of use of platform, or (iii) is acting in a bad faith, or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person.
  8. Contest Sponsor reserves the right to modify, suspend, terminate or cancel the contest at their discretion for any reason.
  9. Contestant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Contest Sponsor, their parent, subsidiary and affiliated companies, officers, directors, employees, interns, and agents, from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees) arising from (i) violation of these Official Challenge Rules; (ii) violation of any third party right, including without limitation any copyright, trademark, intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other proprietary right in connection with the contest; or (iii) any claim that a contest submission caused any harm, including financial, to any third party. These indemnification and hold harmless obligations will survive indefinitely beyond the conclusion of the contest.
  10. The conduct, judging, and awarding of prizes will be carried out in full compliance with applicable U.S. law and host country law. In the event of a conflict between U.S. law and host country law, U.S. law shall apply.
  11. Contest Sponsor and the U.S. Government will take reasonable measures to protect privacy data, personally identifiable information, and other sensitive data of contestants. Contact information provided by contestants may be stored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and may be used to contact contestants for other purposes in the future. This information may be made available to third parties, to the extent permitted by law.
  12. Contest Sponsor assumes no liability or responsibility for any loss or harm resulting from any user’s participation in or attempt to participate in the contest or ability or inability to upload, download, or otherwise access any information in connection with participating in the contest. Contest Sponsor assumes no responsibility or liability for technical problems, or technical malfunctions arising in connection with the operation of the contest, including: hardware or software errors; faulty computer, telephone, cable, satellite, network, electronic, wireless or Internet connectivity, or other online communication problems; errors or limitations of any Internet service providers, servers, hosts or providers; garbled, jumbled or faulty data transmissions; failure of any email transmissions to be sent or received; lost, late, delayed or intercepted email transmissions; inaccessibility of the contest site in whole or in part for any reason; traffic congestion on the Internet or the contest site; unauthorized human or non-human intervention in the operation of the contest, including without limitation, unauthorized tampering, hacking, theft, virus, bugs, worms; or destruction of any aspect of the contest, or loss, miscount, misdirection, inaccessibility or unavailability of an email account used in connection with the contest.
  13. Use of contest site is at user’s own risk. Contest Sponsor is not responsible for any personal injury, property damage, or losses of any kind which may be sustained to computer equipment resulting from participation in the contest, use of the contest site or the downloading of information from the contest site.
  14. By participating in the contest, the contestant releases Contest Sponsor from any and all claims arising from or relating to such contestant’s participation in the contest, whether directly or indirectly.
  15. Contest Sponsor is not liable in the event that any portion of the contest is cancelled or delayed due to weather, fire, strike, acts of war or terrorism, or any other reason.

Privacy Act Statement

AUTHORITIES: The information is sought pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act), as amended; 22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.). The information is also sought pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum to the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on Transparency and Open Government, January 21, 2009. OMB M-10-06, Open Government Directive, December 8, 2009. OMB M-10-23, Guidance for Agency Use of Third-Party Websites and Applications, June 25, 2010. 5 U.S.C. 301, Management of Executive Agencies. 22 U.S.C. 2651a, Organization of the Department of State.

PURPOSE: The information on this form will be used to evaluate and process entries to the “U.S. Exchange Alumni Citizen Diplomacy Challenge" and determine the eligibility of entrants.

ROUTINE USES:  This information may be shared with the news media; to Government agencies and the White House for purposes of planning and coordinating public engagement activities; and to Federal, state, and city governments which are issued tax reports, the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration which are sent tax and withholding data.  More information on Routine Uses can be found in the System of Records Notice STATE-79, Digital Outreach and Communications.

DISCLOSURE: Providing this information is voluntary. However, failure to provide this information may result in an incomplete entry and declared ineligible for the Challenge.

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