On October 15, we celebrate the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program with YES Appreciation Day. This year, we are holding a photo contest, and we ask YES and YES Abroad students and alumni to submit photos they have taken either on program or during alumni activities, workshops, grant projects, and events. Submitted photos should put a spotlight on the goals and the essence of the YES and YES Abroad programs. Submissions will be accepted from now until April 15, 2020.

The winning photo will be selected by YES program partners and will be used for this year’s YES Appreciation Day postcards. YES Appreciation Day postcards will be made available to departing 2019-20 YES students and all YES and YES Abroad alumni who wish to send a personal message (the old-fashioned way!) to their host families, friends, local coordinators, teachers, or other community members who made their YES year special.

Contest Guidelines:

1. The limit is one photo submission per person. Photos should be submitted through this form.

2. Every submission must include the submitter’s name, YES year, photograph title, description of what is taking place in the photo, the date (approximate is fine) and location of the photo, and the full name(s) of any alumni in the photo.

3. The submitter of the photo must be

• A YES or YES Abroad student or alumnus/a;
• Not be an employee of a YES recruiting or placement organization, U.S. Government, or U.S. Embassy;
• The photographer of the photo.

4. Photos must depict YES or YES Abroad alumni or on-program activities. The winning photograph will be selected based on how well it depicts the spirit of the YES program. Submissions should demonstrate students and alumni developing, sharing, or building on the skills, values, and knowledge they have gained while on the YES program.

6. Contest Agreement: By submitting your photo, you agree that the YES program can post the photo on any of its social media sites for the promotion of the YES program and print the photo on the 2020 YES Appreciation Day cards. All submissions or other information communicated to the YES program through this form will forever be the property of the YES program may be used in future publications and web outlets. It is the responsibility of the submitter to ensure that the persons included in the photos (or other information communicated to the YES program) have approved the usage of their story or image.