The IES Abroad Snapshot Contest was started in 2010 as a way to see and share authentic study abroad experiences directly from the source—our students.
IES Abroad runs the Snapshot Contest twice per year and collects submissions that fit into categories such as A Day in the Life, Putting the 'Study' in Study Abroad, and Vertical Video. Of the submissions received, five go on to win a cash prize!
When the contest first began, we used Facebook as our main voting platform and branded the contest as the IES Abroad "Photo Contest." Since 2010, though, the scope of social media and the way students share their stories has changed. To keep up with the changing landscape, we moved the contest to Instagram to celebrate the contest's 10th anniversary in 2020. Then in 2022, we rebranded the contest to the IES Abroad "Snapshot Contest" and widened our lens to include both photos and vertical videos to make room for the growing popularity of apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Past Snapshot Contests have received 800+ photo/video submissions and brought in 12,000+ votes on social media. All submissions are considered for use in future IES Abroad website content, social media posts, and print materials!