Kids Write 4 Kids creative challenge (“KW4K”) is sponsored by RIPPLE FOUNDATION (“RIPPLE”). KW4K begins at 12:00:01 am ET, October 1st, 2024, and ends at 11:59:59 pm ET on March 31, 2025 (the “Contest Period”). The winning story will be announced in Toronto, ON on June 1st, 2025.

Eligibility of Authors

• Open to Canadian residents who are enrolled as full-time students in a public, private institutional school or home school in grades 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 at the time of their entry.
• Employees, agents, and representatives of Ripple or of its subsidiaries, their advertising and promotional agencies or suppliers of prizes, products, services, and material related to this contest, as well as members of their immediate family (brothers, sisters, children, father, mother), their legal or common-law spouse and any individuals with whom such employees, agents, and representatives are domiciled, are not eligible.
• Entries must be made by either the parent or guardian of the minor author of the submission or by the author’s teacher with the author’s parent or guardian’s permission.

How to Enter

• NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY. Internet access is required.
• Entries must be made by either the parent or guardian of the minor author of the submission or by the author’s teacher with the author’s parent or guardian’s permission.
• To enter, visit the www.ripplefoundation.ca website during the Contest Period. Follow the instructions to access and submit your entry.
• Complete the entry form as indicated. All fields must be completed unless indicated as optional. Once your entry form and submission (the “Submission”) is uploaded, click “submit.”
• Limit one (1) Submission per author. During the Contest Period, entrants may only use one email address, even if they have more than one.
• Duplication or any attempts to exceed the maximum number of entries per author violate these Official Contest Rules and may result in disqualification.

Conditions applicable to the Submission entered

The following conditions apply to the Submission entered:

Word Count

• Maximum word count: 5,000 words.
• The word count includes “a,” “an,” and “the,” but not the words on non-story pages such as the title page or those captions for illustrations or photography.
• Invented words are accepted.

File format and submission

• The text must be typed and submitted in a .doc or .docx file format. (parents/guardians can assist with inputting the story)
• The word doc should be formatted in 12 pt type in Times font in black.
• Do not submit any images. If your story has images and is selected, a Ripple Foundation representative will contact you to obtain original images.
• Submissions created using artificial intelligence tools are not acceptable and will be disqualified.

General

• Stories must be original and written entirely by the author
• Only single-author stories qualify (no co-authored stories)
• Stories will be accepted in English only
• Stories can be fact or fiction, and prose or poetry
• Only online entries will be accepted
• All entries must review the story checklist
• Do not end the story with “To Be Continued”
• Any portion of the Submission entered protected by copyright, any other intellectual property right, or the right of a third party may not be entered unless the author has obtained all required authorizations.

Statement of consent, authorization and release in connection with the Submission entered.

1. By entering the Contest, entrants confirm that they are authorized to provide the following statement on behalf of the author:
2. I grant Ripple Foundation and its representatives the authorization to reproduce, broadcast, publish, distribute, represent in public, edit and modify the Submission entered. These are worldwide authorizations, without any further compensation beyond my participation in this Contest and for an unlimited period of time, for the purposes of this Contest or for any other purpose related to the activities of Ripple Foundation, including but not limited to broadcast in various media including the www.ripplefoundation.ca Website, web banners, existing Internet platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.) or advertising material promoting the present Contest or its future editions, as the case may be, or the services and/or products of the Ripple. I agree with using my first and last name and city of residence in connection with the Submission entered. I declare that the Submission entered is original, that I am its sole author, or that I have obtained all required rights or authorizations for its use according to the terms set out in these Contest Rules, and that I am not in violation of any law or third-party right. Upon request, I agree to provide Ripple Foundation and its representatives with the authorizations mentioned in this section. I acknowledge that Ripple Foundation and its representatives have no responsibility concerning the use and broadcast of the Submission entered for authorized purposes. They cannot be held liable for any claim whatsoever under these terms and conditions or the terms of use of the Website by users. I undertake to reimburse Ripple Foundation and its representatives for any expense incurred by them in the event of a claim or legal proceedings resulting from the use or the broadcast of the Submission entered.
3. Only the winner’s Submission will be published by Ripple Foundation.
4. Ripple reserves the right to withdraw the finalists’ Submissions entered on the Contest website in whole or in part. Ripple also reserves the right to modify, in whole or in part, the Submission entered or to disqualify the finalist if, for any reason, it was found that his/her entry does not comply with these Contest rules.

Judging Criteria

During the Contest Period, all Submissions will be reviewed by a panel (the “Judging Panel”) including at least ten individuals selected from various backgrounds and occupations. The Judging Panel will review the Submissions, which will be judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling, and quality of writing. Each Submission will be judged on the following criteria to determine its score (the Judges’ Score):

• 40% Creativity and originality of plot and/or themes
• 40% Story structure, characters, and setting
• 20% Style and tone – the quality of writing

For poetry entries, the criteria are as follows:

• 40% Creativity and originality of themes and/or ideas
• 40% Emotional impact, use of language, poetic techniques
• 20% Style and tone – the quality of writing

(Collectively, the “Judging Criteria”).

Each Submission will receive a score, expressed in the number of points out of a maximum possible of 100, on each of the two (3) parts of the Judging Criteria. These three (3) scores will be added together and weighted according to their percentage importance for a total number of points awarded to the Submission. The Submission with the highest score, as determined by the most points awarded based on the Judging Criteria, will be selected as the potential winner at the Judging Panel’s sole discretion. In the course of determining the winner, if two or more Submissions finish with an identical score, all Submissions receiving the highest score will be selected as potential winners and will share equally in the prize award.

Stories must not contain unsuitable materials such as abusive, obscene, offensive, or profanity language. Ripple Foundation reserved the right to disqualify entries containing such matter. Entries must be suitable to be published for audiences of all ages, particularly for a child audience.

You can also visit here to look at some of the previously published Kids Write 4 Kids ebooks.

Prize

• The Submission (s) receiving the highest score will be published in a professional e-book by RIPPLE
• Ripple will be responsible for all costs associated with producing the e-book and marketing the e-book. The type and extent of Marketing activities for the e-book will be at the sole discretion of Ripple
• e-book will be made available for sale at Amazon, Apple iBookstore, Google Play, and Overdrive.
• Net proceeds for the calendar year 2025 from all KW4K book sales from Amazon, Apple iBookstore, Google Play, and Overdrive of this contest and the continued sales (if any) of e-books that were the winning submissions in prior year’s KW4K contests will be donated to the author’s charity of choice. If more than one Entry is selected, the net proceeds will be divided equally among the authors, and each author will donate the amount to their charity of choice. The charity must be officially registered in Canada.
• Net proceeds from the sales of the e-books from Amazon, Apple iBookstore, Google Play, and Overdrive will be calculated after the 2025 year-end and proceeds donated in the Spring of 2025. The value of the donation will depend upon the number of KW4K books sold in 2025.

Awarding of Prize

On July 1st, 2025, at 10 a.m., the author of the Submission with the highest score will be eligible to be declared the Prize winner, subject to compliance with the Contest rules. RIPPLE will contact the Prize winner within approximately two (2) business days by the preferred contact method provided on the entry form. Before being declared the winner of the Prize, the author and their parent or guardian whose Submission has collected the highest score must first:

• Complete and return to RIPPLE (or its authorized agent) by the deadline specified in the documents a written declaration and release (the “Declaration and Release”), declaring that the entrant is eligible to win the prize in accordance with these Contest Rules and releasing RIPPLE, and all of its respective directors, officers, owners, partners, shareholders, employees, agents, representatives, successors and assigns from any liability in connection with this Contest, or the use, misuse or possession of any prize-related thereto. Prizes will only be awarded to verified winners;
• In addition to the authorizations which have already been granted in compliance with these Contest rules, assign all copyrights or intellectual property rights and waive all moral rights related to the Submission entered to Ripple and, if required, supply any additional documentation proving that he/she holds all rights related to the Submission entered without any form of compensation. A statement to such effect will be included in the Declaration Form;
• Upon request and in a timely manner, provide an identification card with a photograph;

Return of any prize notification as undeliverable, inability to reach the selected participant, Failure of the selected participant to respond to the notification within five (5) business days of the first attempt by Ripple, failure of the selected participant to provide any required proof of eligibility, the completed Winner Release, or other documentation within ten (10) days, failure to comply with any of the conditions above or any other condition in these Contest rules or refusal of the prize will cause the selected participant to be automatically disqualified and forfeit the prize. In such a case, Ripple will select the next participant whose Submission received the highest score until the participant is selected and declared a winner.

Rights Associated with KW4K

By participating in this Contest, the parent or guardian of the author of the submission warrants that RIPPLE is given and has the right to use the author’s name, likeness, biographical information, information and materials contained in the Entry Form, photographs, and any statements or remarks made about the KW4K in advertising and promotion without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. All entries, and any copyrights and moral rights therein, become the sole property of RIPPLE. By entering, the parent or guardian of the author of the submission agrees to abide by the above-stated rules and warrant that their Submission is the original work of the author and does not infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party and warrant that RIPPLE has the right to edit, publish, promote, and otherwise use their entry materials without permission, notice or compensation. No royalties will be paid at this or at any time.

By participating in this Contest, the parent or guardian of the submission’s author assigns all rights, titles, and interests in and to the Submission to RIPPLE and warrants that they have the authority to assign such rights, titles, and interests. Suppose any applicable law requires certain formalities to be fulfilled to effectuate such a grant of rights. In that case, each author and their parent or guardian agree to cooperate with RIPPLE to fulfill such formalities.

By participating in this Contest, the author of the submission’s parent or guardian agrees to be bound by these KW4K rules. Each author and their parent or guardian agrees to and warrants that Ripple and its employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives, subsidiaries, parent companies, or other affiliated companies are released and held harmless from any and all damages, losses, claims, and liabilities arising out of participation in the KW4K or resulting from acceptance or claiming of any prize hereunder. RIPPLE reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate, suspend or otherwise cancel the KW4K at any time. RIPPLE is not responsible for any expenses incurred in connection with participation in the KW4K.

Privacy: Unless otherwise specified, any and all information connected in connection with this KW4K will be used solely for the purpose of administering the KW4K. To understand how RIPPLE uses, stores, manages, and discards private information, visit the RIPPLE privacy policy at https://ripplefoundation.ca/privacy-policy

General Conditions

1. Entry forms and Submissions are subject to verification by Ripple. Any entry form which is incomplete, fraudulent, submitted late, showing a wrong email address or phone number, or otherwise non-compliant shall be rejected and will not entitle the entrant to be entered in the contest or to win a prize.

2. RIPPLE reserves the right to disqualify an entrant or to cancel an entry submitted by an entrant who participates or tries to participate in this contest by using methods that do not comply with these contest rules or that are unfair to the other entrants (e.g. entries exceeding the authorized limit). Such an entrant shall be reported to the appropriate legal authorities.

3. The prize must be accepted as awarded and may not be substituted, transferred to another person, replaced by another prize, or exchanged in whole or in part for cash, except as provided in the section below.

4. RIPPLE reserves the right to replace a prize (or a portion thereof) with one of the same kind and of equivalent value or, at its sole discretion, with the cash value of the prize (or a portion thereof) as indicated in the contest rules.

5. Each winner releases and holds harmless the Ripple, their affiliates, their advertising, and promotional agencies, and their employees, agents, and representatives from and against any damage resulting from the acceptance or use of the prize.

6. RIPPLE, their affiliates, their advertising and promotional agencies, and their employees, agents, and representatives are not responsible or liable for any of the following that may limit or prevent any entrant’s participation in the contest: malfunctioning of any computer component, software, or communications line; loss or lack of a communications network; or any transmission that is faulty, incomplete, incomprehensible or erased by any computer or network. The RIPPLE, their affiliates, their advertising and promotional agencies, and their employees, agents, and representatives are also not responsible or liable for any damages or loss that may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by the downloading of any Web page or software or by the transmission of any information related to participation in the contest.

7. RIPPLE does not warrant that access to or use of the contest website will be uninterrupted during the Contest Period or error-free.

8. RIPPLE reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend this contest in whole or in part, or to terminate it, should human intervention or an event take place that could modify or affect the administration, security, impartiality, or conducting of the contest as provided in these contest rules.

9. In the event that the computer system cannot record all the contest entries or scores during the Contest Period for whatever reason, or if participation in the contest must be terminated in whole or in part before the end date of the contest as provided in the contest rules, RIPPLE, at its sole discretion and without liability to any entrant or intended entrant, may proceed with the selection from among the entries duly registered or recorded during the Contest Period or, as the case may be, up to the date of the event terminating participation in the contest.

10. In no event shall RIPPLE, its affiliates, their advertising and promotional agencies, the suppliers of goods, materials, or services related to this contest, and their employees, agents, and representatives be required to award more prizes than those indicated in these contest rules or to award a prize otherwise than in accordance with these contest rules.

11. Persons who enter or try to enter this contest release RIPPLE, their affiliates, their advertising, and promotional agencies, and their employees, agents, and representatives from any liability for damage they may incur as a result of their participation or their attempt to participate in the contest.

12. Each winner or potential winner authorizes RIPPLE and its representatives to use his/her name, photo, likeness, a statement regarding the prize, place of residence, and/or voice for publicity purposes, without any additional form of compensation and agrees to execute and return a more complete Release to this effect before being awarded a prize.

13. Any decision by RIPPLE or its representatives regarding this Contest is final and without appeal.

14. For the purposes of these contest rules, the entrant is the person whose personal information appears on the entry form. It is to this person to whom the prize will be awarded if he/she is selected and declared a winner.

15. No communication or correspondence related to this Contest shall be exchanged with entrants except as provided for in the contest rules or at the RIPPLE’s initiative.

16. Entrants’ personal information collected for the purposes of the contest will be used only to administer the contest. No commercial or other communications unrelated to the contest will be sent to entrants unless they have otherwise agreed to receive such communications.

17. If a section of the contest rules is declared or deemed illegal, unenforceable, or invalid by a competent court, that section shall be considered invalid, but all unaffected sections will be applied within the limits of the law.

18. Any attempt to deliberately damage the website of this contest and/or any related site or to sabotage the legitimate course of this Contest constitutes a violation of civil and criminal laws. Should there be any threats of violations, Ripple reserves the right to reject the entrant’s entries and obtain legal or equitable relief under the applicable laws.