FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2026
Contact:
Desira Blanchard
Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
Dblanchard@nvcogct.gov
NVCOG Invites Public to Capture the Naugatuck Valley Through Photography
(Waterbury, CT) – The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) is inviting residents, students, and visitors to help define the region’s identity through a regional photo contest supporting the development of the Naugatuck Valley Regional Plan of Conservation and Development (NVRPOCD). The plan is a long-range document that guides growth, preservation, and community priorities over the coming years.
The contest seeks photographs that capture the people, places, and experiences that define life in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. Submissions may reflect Architecture, Arts & Culture, Community and Places of Belonging, Environment, Entertainment & Leisure, Public Events, and/or Transportation across the region. Selected images will be used to visually support the NVCOG’s long-term planning efforts and to illustrate the themes and priorities reflected in the NVRPOCD.
Submissions are open now through 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2026. Participants may submit up to three digital photographs through an online submission form at https://arcg.is/1G5OSr2. The contest is open to adults aged 18 or older, as well as high school students in grades 9 through 12 who have parent or guardian permission.
One winning photo will be selected from each of NVCOG’s 19 municipalities: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Bristol, Cheshire, Derby, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Plymouth, Prospect, Seymour, Shelton, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Waterton, Wolcott, and Woodbury. Winners will receive a $25 gift card to a local establishment in the town where the photo was taken. Selected images may also be featured on the NVCOG website, social media platforms, and in future official planning publications.
Plans of Conservation and Development are required by Connecticut law and are updated every 10 years. They serve as a shared framework for communities, helping local and regional leaders make coordinated decisions that balance development with conservation while reflecting community priorities. By contributing photos, residents and students have an opportunity to directly shape how the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is represented.
Full contest rules, submission guidelines, and required photo release forms, including forms for high school student participants and any identifiable individuals appearing in submitted photos, are available at https://nvcogct.gov/project/photo-contest/.
