Do the Write Thing

The Do the Write Thing Challenge (or DtWT) is a writing program for junior high students organized by the U.S. National Campaign to Stop Violence.[1][2][3] Intended to reduce youth violence, the Do the Write Thing Essay Challenge Program began in 1994 as a local program in Washington, D.C. and expanded in 1996 to other cities.[4][5][6] According to Dr. Hassan Al-Ebraheem, founder and chairman of the Kuwait-America Foundation, the program has reached over 1.6 million children (as of July 2013) across the country since its foundation.[7]

Do the Write Thing
Founded1994
TypeNon-profit
FocusViolence reduction
Location
  • Washington, D.C.
Websitehttp://www.dtwt.org/

Aimed at middle school students, one of the program's primary objectives is to motivate students to make a personal commitment, in writing, to help prevent and reduce youth violence in their home, school, and communities.[8][9][10] The students are then asked to address these three questions in an essay for submission:[11][12]

  1. How has youth violence and drugs affected my life?
  2. What are the causes of youth violence?
  3. What can I do about youth violence?

After this, a panel, usually composed of volunteers or school staff, reads the essays and chooses "school finalists".[4][10][13] These “school finalists” continue on to a broader selection that is citywide.[2][3][10][13][14] Each year, two finalists from each city—one boy and one girl—along with their teacher and parent, are honored at a national recognition ceremony in Washington, DC.[12][15] While in Washington, DC, the DTWT National Ambassadors visit the United States Library of Congress, The United States Supreme Court, the United States Capitol and the Kuwait Embassy.[16][17] Their essays are published in one volume, which is then presented to the Library of Congress.[4][10][18]

The Challenge is the idea of Daniel Q. Callister, a Washington lawyer who says its purpose is four-fold: to provide children who have experienced or seen violence with a cathartic experience; to give them motivation to change their behavior; to be an education experience for teachers and the community; and to get adults to help solve the problem.[1][4]

Sponsors of "Do the Write Thing" include:

References
  1. "You're Never Too Young To Do The Write Thing". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  2. "LAWYER HELPS STUDENTS 'DO THE WRITE THING'". Illinois Lawyer Finder. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  3. "Help Stop School and Youth Violence – Do the Write Thing". Chicago Now. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  4. "DO THE WRITE THING CHALLENGE PROGRAM". GPO. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  5. "2012 'Do the Write Thing' finalists". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  6. "Essays by 'Do the Write Thing' finalists explore issue of youth violence". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  7. "Kuwait-America body honors US youth at 17th annual "Do the Write Thing" gala". Kuwait News Agency. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  8. "Do The Write Thing". CharMeck.org. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  9. "Do The Write Thing Challenge". The School District of Palm Beach County. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  10. ""Do the Write Thing" - The National Campaign to Stop Violence". The REACH Institute. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  11. "Do the Write Thing Challenge". Kuwait-America Foundation. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  12. "Do The Write Thing". WTTW Chicago Tonight. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  13. "A Challenge to Do the Write Thing". Utah Board of Juvenile Justice. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  14. "Doing the 'write thing'". My FOX Memphis. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  15. "HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS DO THE WRITE". Harlem Globetrotters. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  16. "D.A. Announces Winners of the Seventh Annual "Do The Write Thing Challenge"". Shelby County District Attorney. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  17. "Fort Herriman students recognized for the write thing". South Valley Journal. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  18. "Do the Write Thing". Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
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