I have no idea what the teaching team teaches. Are these skilled, open minded writers or people joining because they know how to draw between the lines while being chained inside a box?

I agree with @yancar it is boring and the topics are always the same. Next to that the contest rarely fits to what the community stands for, if they stand for anything at all and aren't just hosting contests to attract as many active members to be noticed and be stronger to the benefit of?

But the SEC contests aren't the only boring, frequently badly written and described ones. So are many other contests with exactly the same themes held at times at 3 or 4 different communities where also the topics of SEC contests are used. A contest many already joined so it's an easy write (and I see nearly the same entry in two different communities).

Example:
SEC contest: favourite bites in my city
Contest: my city's favourite restaurant
(perhaps the restaurant is favourite for its bathroom but you get the point).

Another burden of SEC contests is all entries are the same. That needle might be there if you dig around 50 haystacks but its searching for it. How many read each entry concentrated, every word written? My guess 0.01% if not 0.001.

SEC entries + winners?
The winner isn't the one who sticks to the community's topic + contest's, isn't the most creative writer, or the entry that brings life and fun to Steemit but... the one who "engages" most even if it is AI generated, a copy-paste of the writer's words and that fake engagement stops after leaving such a comment.

Engagement is something else and it has to be taught and can be learned but... something has to be achieved if you invest 1 hour in a comment. Honestly, what is the point if there's no reply or an 'okay thnx'? I rather comment my friends. They might not read it immediately but that's no problem. Creative people should create and not invest in writing long comments (like I do, trust me it makes me grumpy if I can't write).

Is there a reason to join a SEC contest?
I don't see it. A good post will not be found among 100 with the same boring title not to mention the nonsense hashtags being used. There's a lot of shouting about promoting steemit but it's about promoting what a writer is proud of that will attract writers and investors. How do I find a post of my interest here if I do not know anyone who writes about it?
Follow the hashtag story and you see what I mean. Hardly one story, it's the same for creativewriting. Not even 98% of all that's written is creative and that's a big loss because we had it all and those few left are told their content doesn't follow the rules or they do not join theclub, did not give 15℅ to the community or... creativity isn't recognized or felt as an insult because of the moderator's religion.

Engagement?
See the monkey comment contests in @steembetterlife and start reading the first one.
Here you see how people start engaging. It is hard work. You have to invite them, answer every comment and trigger to come back and encourage to dare to say what they think!
If people are scared to be punished they won't be creative and stick to what is thought and with that the joy of writing is gone if it existed at all. Why not encourage to do better, to write differently or if writing isn't the biggest skill focus on another one? Is a story of drawings bad content? If so why? Comics sell good and anime is popular.

There are plenty of ways to blow life into the SEC contests but it will not happen if it continues the way it is (same for all contests), with a host making a quick post about a topic he has nothing to share about and not willing to engage with the participants. If engagement is needed the host of the contest should be the first one. Give that comment and a decend one, spread some joy, share the golden tip, give room to edit, and let that moderate report not be part of it. Many do not read it it anyway.

Will I ever join SEC again?
The answer is no. It has nothing to do with my personal grow, it's no act of kindness, not the way to engage but seen as a way to earn. There's no fame in winning and it's not even said the prize will be paid out.
Another big minus to me is being an unread number to most communities. Even after they say they read everyone they cannot remember the good entries or those writers.

I find it hard to digest if I am told easy contests are needed to let every idiot join. Is that what Steemit stands for or a community goes for? Low, far under average level contests? Is this the way to generate quality content?

I leave it here. Over two hours typing on a phone where I can only see 3 lines to... ?
Good question. It feels like a waste of time but you have another opinion.
I wish you a great day. Feel free not not reply.

I forgot those 7 themes... A very good reason for me NOT to join. Honestly, I am sick of all the wokeness, caring, sharing, nature-loving entries which in reality most of us do not care about at all. I only have to look around me, at how people act here and in real life. I am allergic to keeping up appearances, lecturing, preaching without practicing, and showing posts with the focus "Look how great I am". Let's show the real, selfish, lazy people we are. Using plastic bags and containers, dropping our trash on the street or bags with trash in the countryside where only a few live, while we drive on with our smoking vehicles and motorcycles, drinking coffee and beer for 12 hours or more while gaming and grabbing some fast food and potato chips because we don't know how to cook. If you know how to write great content can be produced out of these life styles, reality-based, If poor you don't care about healthy, nature, responsible groceries with some stamp. No likes to clean up at home let alone nature unless they get paid. The lockdowns showed how much we cared about one another (not at all) and we have no time to cook for the neighour although we have all those high tech stuff making our life so much easier (sending a text with: how do you do, is already too much asked).

P. S. @denmarkguy is right but forgets one thing I noticed: people no longer know or dare to write spontaneously!

cc @rashid001