From empowering women in India to supporting water resources in Ethiopia, winning images from the Masters of Development Practice photo contest highlight students' work to support developing communities around the world.

Winners of the fourth annual photo contest were announced during a Nov. 13 reception. Out of about 400 entries, awards were given for first, second and third place images in two categories: "My Vantage Point" and "Our Field Experience."

"I always leave this event with a renewed sense of pride in the work we're doing at the MDP Program, and the impact that our students are having all around the world," says Letitia M. Campbell, coordinator for community and strategic partnerships for the MDP program.

"My Vantage Point" honors images that reflect a particular perspective on a unique landscape, interaction or aspect of culture that can only be experienced by being there, a perspective that comes from being present and engaged in the context. The "My Field Experience" category celebrates images that represent what the MDP field practicum is like, and images that inspire other young people to get involved in international development practice and interdisciplinary work.

Winning photos from this year's contest were taken by students who worked with organizations in India, Rwanda, Uganda, Mali, Tanzania, Tibet, Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana.

"The photo contest is a way to represent and celebrate the uniqueness of the MDP field practicum experience, and the diversity of contexts, organizations and projects that our students work with," Campbell says.

The Masters in Development Practice, offered through the Laney Graduate School, is designed to combine rigorous coursework with extensive, hands-on fieldwork. Students spend two summers working as practitioners-in-training within leading humanitarian organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America; they also complete internships with Atlanta-based international NGOs working on development, global health, environmental conservation, human rights, disaster assistance and education.

Here are the 2014 winners for each category:

My Vantage Point

First place: Hannah Cox, who worked with a women empowerment program at CARE India

Second place (tie): Fallon Frappier, who worked with Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International in partnership with Emory's Center for Global Safe Water and Global Health Institute in Rwanda

Second place (tie): Jillian Kenny, who worked with CARE/Global Water Initiative in Uganda

Third place (tie):  Morgan Mercer, who worked with CARE's Pathways program in Mali and Tanzania

Third place (tie):  Lhamo Tso, who worked with Tibetan Village Project in Tibet

Our Field Experience

First place: Nathan Kennedy, who worked with CARE/Global Water Initiative in northern Ethiopia

Second place: Taylor Spicer, who worked with the Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security program in Kenya and Ghana

Third place: Winnette Richards, who worked with the Millennium Villages Project Bonsaaso Cluster in Ghana

More images from the photo contest are available in a gallery on the MDP website.