In line with the ICC 2026 theme CENTERING COMMUNITY we invite your interpretations on this theme, especially engaging with Diversity, Change, and Connection in communities.

Centering our local communities of people and other life, land, and riverscapes in Athens, we extend a special invitation for submissions under the themes:

• ATHENS x UGA – relationships local Athens communities have with UGA & its campus
• THE OCONEE RIVERS – social or ecological multiplicities along the North Oconee and Middle Oconee Rivers, which converge into the Oconee River south of Athens

What makes a Community?

from peoples’ relationships with communities of microbes

that are spread by communities of ticks

to communities of livestock or megafauna or insects,

whose lives are intricately entangled with communities of farmers

on communities of people who have communities of plants in their gardens

to communities of bees and wasps found in communities of crops

about communities of birds observed by communities of birders

to communities of bacteria in the gut microbiomes of humans

from communities of people co-building community-led coalitions

to the communities we form at work, at home, through art, or in the academy

submit here: tinyurl.com/PhotoVoicesForm

Audience: Students, alumni, and faculty from the ICON PhD program AND local community members from the Athens area!

example photo submissions with reflections

example exhibit submission from PhotoVoices 1.0

Deadline: Accepting submissions till Feb 15 via this form

Entries of 1-10 images + titles + reflections (30-200 words) under one or more exhibit topic can be submitted via the form.

• Contributors can submit recent photos or images from the past, from work, day by day experiences, or observations.
• Your reflections may engage with processes, contexts, and/or personal experiences related to the images, and how they engage with the themes. PhotoVoices welcomes all your stories and insights from work, daily life, or even random encounters!

Each person can submit a maximum of 10 images for PhotoVoices 2.0 under multiple exhibits/themes.

• An exhibit is a collection of 1 or more photos and reflections under a specific title, which will be displayed together.
• All submitted images may not be exhibited. Contributors will be informed about the images that will be exhibited.

Image modifications should be limited to minor adjustments for brightness/contrast; removal of lens dust; or cropping.

• Collages or other combinations of multiple images are not accepted at this time.

Submission Form: tinyurl.com/PhotoVoicesForm

• Organizers (CICR & ICON) do not hold any ownership rights over the photographs or reflections submitted as part of the PhotoVoices initiative. Copyright of the images and reflections remains with the participants who submitted these materials.
• Participants can only submit pictures they have personally taken and that they are authorized to share publicly.
• Wider sharing by the organizers of the PhotoVoices submissions, exhibits, and outcomes will be done only with explicit permission of the participants.
• Participants will be informed about any future exhibition of their images and reflections.
• Participants can withdraw their submissions at any time by reaching out to the organizers and requesting a withdrawal.
• Participants and others are welcome to reach out to the PhotoVoices organizers to discuss ethical concerns or considerations related to the images / reflections / exhibitions at iconphd@uga.edu
• Consent is critical when taking photographs of any people or private spaces. Please ethically seek consent before taking identifiable images of people or private places.
• Participants must act in a culturally and contextually sensitive manner as they take pictures for PhotoVoices.
• Avoid photos with visible faces of people, unless informed consent has been provided. Informed consent involves providing people with complete information about your motivations for taking the pictures, and how the images may be used in the future.
• If taking photos of people or their private spaces, please share a virtual or physical copy of the photograph with them as possible.
• Please reach out at iconphd@uga.edu with any questions, concerns, or feedback.

• Click here for sample submissions
• exhibit submission from PhotoVoices 1.0
• PhotoVoices 2.0 brochure
• PhotoVoices 1.0 – Contributors, Exhibits, and Exhibition Photos
• Additional examples: Center for Health & Equity (Johns Hopkins), Disaster & Community Crisis Center (University of Missouri), International projects (from org), Photovoice projects from Seeing Pastoralism, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University
• Playlist with Podcasts on Photovoice
  (spotify, but episodes also available elsewhere)

Online Communities and PhotoVoice Guidance

• Photovoice Method (Participedia)
• Photovoice: Research Methods Toolkit (Center for Society and Mental Health)
• Implementing Photovoice in Your Community (Community ToolBox, University of Kansas)
• Photovoice Worldwide
• photovoice.org

Select Literature

• Wang C, Burris MA. (1997). Photovoice: Concept, Methodology, and Use for Participatory Needs Assessment, Health Education & Behavior, 24(3):369-387. link
• Mulder, C., & Dull, A. (2014). Facilitating Self-Reflection: The Integration of Photovoice in Graduate Social Work Education. Social Work Education, 33(8), 1017–1036. link
• Sutton-Brown, C. A. (2014). Photovoice: A Methodological Guide. Photography and Culture, 7(2), 169–185. link