The Rules

What

We need your voice and story to help others. Write a letter or poem to at-risk youth about a time you nearly gave up on something that you loved but decided to keep going.

We are partnering with former NFL player Johnathan Cyprien and his foundation CypSquad.  The goal of CypSquad is to help give at-risk youth the experiences and support they need to realize their dreams.

First Place – selected by The Unsealed – $200

Bonus Prize – Selected by Votes – $50

Member votes count 5x. Non-Member Votes Count 1x

Also, we are going to turn this challenge into a book. If you would like your piece to be considered,  after you submit your entry, sign our release here. The release allows us to publish your poem in our book (you will remain the owner of your work). A port of the proceeds from the book will go to at-risk youth via the CypSquad.

Who

You must be over 18 and a member of The Unsealed Community. You can sign up for The Unsealed Here

*no relatives or employees of The Unsealed are permitted to enter.

You must remain a member of The Unsealed throughout the contest and book publishing process to qualify.

When

All Entries must be in by 11:59 PM on March 15 2024 Eastern Time

Those moving on to the next round will be announced on May 15th, 2024

Voting will go from May 16th to June 17th (11:59 PM Eastern Time).

Our Winners will be announced  on  June 18th, 2024

Requirements

• Entries must be in English
• They must be entered on theunsealed.com
• They must be true
• The letter/poem can’t mention anyone’s name except yourself (Example: you can call someone a friend, a neighbor, a teammate or a family member but you can’t call them by their name, John Smith)
• The letter/poem must be original writing from the person submitting the letter
• The letter must not have been published anywhere else
• The letter can’t can’t be defamatory toward another person
• The letter must be less than 800 words
• Only one entry per person
• Include a title for your letter and a photo that goes with your story
• We do check for AI-written pieces. If a piece is written by AI, it will be automatically disqualified

Rights

You will own the rights to your entry but by entering the contest you will give us permission/limited license to publish the letter and any pictures you provide on The Unsealed. You will also allow us to promote your entry on social media using your letter and the provided picture.

How it will be judged

The Unsealed will choose our first-place winner and those who will be featured in our book. Voting will determine our bonus prize winner.

What the letters/poems will be judged on

• Organization that is logical and effective, is the letter easy to read and understand?
• Creativity/originality, is there anything that makes this letter unique?
• Message/insight – does the letter offer a thoughtful message?
• Impact/Inspirational – is the story powerful and inspirational?
• Accurately addresses the topic – does this letter share a message of resilience?

Good Luck!