Contests

My America

Show us the America you experienced! The 2010 My America photo contest is your chance to inspire us with the life you lived stateside. In an eight to ten image photo essay, creatively express your thoughts, feelings, and impressions of the United States. We’re looking for new perspectives on American life—express yourself!

Winning entries will be eligible for great prizes including a US$500 travel voucher from STA Travel or a California adventure for two from Intrepid Suntrek, an iPod Nano, a two-year subscription to Flickr, or a gift card from Rick Steves! Your photos could also be featured in CDS publications.

Who May Enter

Anyone who participated in a CDS J-1 visa program between January 1, 2010 and January 31, 2011. At least one month of your stay had to occur during the contest dates.

Step One: Take Pictures!

Get out and take pictures of your life abroad! We’re looking for on-the-job photos, pictures with friends, and images of iconic Americana. Vivid, colorful pictures will be given special consideration. For some inspiration, check out the 2009 winning entries. We’re excited to see what you come up with!

Step Two: Create a Photo Essay

Each photo essay should include the following:

• Eight to ten digital photos taken at the highest resolution possible and saved in .jpeg file format.
• A theme running throughout the essay. Be creative and have fun!
• Titles to both your photo essay and each individual photo.
• A brief, three to five sentence essay (about 100 words) in English explaining how your photo essay expresses your experiences in the United States.

Please do not submit photo albums, slideshows, PowerPoint presentations, websites, scrapbooks, or any other media forms.

We’re also excited to introduce the “Working in the American Dream” theme contest. Enter one photo that shows us the working-side of life in the States.

Step Three: Submit your Photos

Download the entry form and follow the detailed instructions. All submissions must be received by CDS International no later than January 31, 2010 using one of the following mediums:

1. Over an FTP server – send login information to
2. Via the website www.yousendit.com – reference
3. Via email – Send compressed photos and entry form to — please note that the maximum size for an attachment is ten megabytes, anything larger will need to be submitted via another method.
4. Mail your entry burned on a compact disc to:

CDS International, Inc.
ATTN: My America
440 Park Avenue South, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10016
USA

Step Four: Win!

An Evaluation Committee will choose the top two prize winners. They will also select the winner of our new ”Working in the American Dream“ theme contest. A People’s Choice Award will also be given to the entrant who garners the most votes during a month-long online poll.

• 1^st Prize: US$500 Travel Voucher from STA Travel or a California adventure for two from Intrepid Suntrek
• 2^nd Prize: iPod Nano
• Working in the American Dream Prize: US$75 Gift Card from Rick Steves’ Travel Store
• People’s Choice: Two-year subscription to Flickr
• Finalists: Your photos will be featured online!

Please contact us with any questions or concerns: / +1 212.497.3570.

Please read the complete rules and regulations before submitting an entry.

Good Luck!