Do the Write Thing

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

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]

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:

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References

  1. 1 2 "You're Never Too Young To Do The Write Thing". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "LAWYER HELPS STUDENTS 'DO THE WRITE THING'". Illinois Lawyer Finder. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Help Stop School and Youth Violence – Do the Write Thing". Chicago Now. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 4 ""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. 1 2 "Do The Write Thing". WTTW Chicago Tonight. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  13. 1 2 "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. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. 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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