#ChooseGrowth Video Contest - $10,000 Grand Prize
Boulder Crest Foundation launches The Posttraumatic Growth Story Challenge
Do you know someone who has overcome traumatic adversity and used the process to thrive and build a stronger life? Would they let you make a video about it? Or do you have your own inspiring story to share?
Trauma can debilitate or enable our best versions of ourselves, depending on how we react, grow, and learn from the experience. When life hits us with an unexpected twist of fate, it can be tempting to fall apart. That’s our inner 13-year-old reacting to unplanned circumstances. Let them say their piece, then find a way to use the new reality to your advantage. And keep that first reaction to yourself!
Three decades of working freelance have taught me to keep my mouth shut and eyes wide open; the universe is always more interesting than anything I can think of. But only if I’m paying attention. This especially became clear when I started making documentaries after years of narrative work. The ways that we react to circumstances tell us more about our maturity level than all the planning in the world.
I started my current doc film about a preservationist with a clear goal for his actions and what parts of his life and work I was trying to record, but he kept pushing me towards other storylines and pursuits that I wasn’t interested in. This was my movie, damnit! But I finally relented, and he opened up a whole new dimension to the project by pursuing his other ideas and projects. His character became more real as I went down new roads with him, creating new layers of meaning within the scenes we were shooting.
This isn’t a very traumatic situation, but it illustrates how closed-minded we can be when we decide and limit what we want a project or our lives to be. There is always a different way things can go. And it is impossible to grow if you don’t confront adversity and make the best of your circumstances.
The Contest
Boulder Crest Foundation has launched a video contest with ChooseGrowth.org centered on these themes of posttraumatic growth, with a grand prize of $10k and several other cash prizes. The contest closes May 23rd, and winners are announced June 13th.
From the press release: Founded by retired Navy EOD Master Chief Ken Falke, Boulder Crest Foundation is a pioneering nonprofit on a mission to change the world through the Science of PTG. They are the global leader in developing, delivering, studying, and scaling PTG-based programs. Over the last decade, they’ve helped 130,000 veterans, service members, first responders, and their families transform their struggles into strength and growth.
If you are wondering what exactly is posttraumatic growth, the Choose Growth site spells it out in clear and concise language:
Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) is the science of transforming struggle into strength. It’s the process of finding new purpose, deeper relationships, and greater personal growth in the aftermath of adversity.
Developed by psychologists, including Dr. Richard Tedeschi, the co-founder of PTG and the Executive Director of the Boulder Crest Foundation Institute for PTG, this powerful framework has been brought to life through Boulder Crest Foundation’s work. They’ve taken the science of PTG and developed, delivered, researched, evaluated, and scaled programs that help people not just recover from life’s challenges, but emerge stronger, more connected, and more inspired than before.
Through evidence-based training, transformative programs, and ongoing research, Boulder Crest is leading the way in helping individuals and communities embrace growth and build lives of meaning and impact.
The contest is open to any 18+ United States creator or filmmaker, regardless of experience. It is free to enter - you can register on the site - and you retain copyrights to your content. All forms of video are accepted - narrative, testimonials, experimental or animation - just keep it under 10 minutes.
Here is the contest website with full details: https://choosegrowth.org/heros-journey/
Thank you to Darren Goldberg from Atlantic Pictures for bringing this contest to my attention.
From the Boulder Crest Foundation, Atlantic Pictures, and Tongal Studios press release:
In a world grappling with mental health challenges, rising rates of suicide, and isolation, one organization is offering a new narrative—one rooted in healing, hope, and purpose. To mark the third annual Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) Day—a day formally recognized by the U.S. Congress and observed each year on June 13— Boulder Crest Foundation, in partnership with Atlantic Pictures and Tongal, is proud to announce Hero’s Journey: The Posttraumatic Growth Story Challenge, a short-film contest that celebrates turning struggle into strength.
“At Boulder Crest, we believe that struggle has value,” says Josh Goldberg, CEO of Boulder Crest, “it’s a gateway to transformation and growth. We launched the Hero’s Journey Contest to invite creators, veterans, and everyday people to share stories of Posttraumatic Growth, not just survival. Our goal is to shift the conversation around trauma – from one focused on what’s broken to one centered on what’s possible. Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for healing, and this challenge is a way to bring those stories to light, inspire others, and build a movement rooted in hope, growth, and purpose.”
Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) demonstrates that struggle can lead to profound growth and transformation, and that trauma doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Rather, it’s the beginning of something extraordinary – the chance to write a new chapter in the story of our lives. This national short film contest seeks to tell those stories of transformation, inviting filmmakers, content creators, and storytellers of all kinds to share powerful narratives of growth through adversity.
“We believe storytelling is the most powerful tool we have for cultural change,” says Goldberg. “Our work with Boulder Crest has opened our eyes to how people can grow stronger through hardship. As a father to a son with a rare genetic syndrome, I’ve seen firsthand how mindset shapes reality. This contest is about amplifying voices of growth, resilience, and human potential.”