Do the Write Thing (DtWT)

Do the Write Thing (DtWT)

Overview: A unique education program designed to give middle school students an outlet to communicate in classroom discussions and written form how violence impacts their daily lives. DtWT aims to expose the causes and effects of violence and empower young people to reduce violence in their communities.

Program Type: Youth education and community engagement initiative; part of the National Campaign to Stop Violence (NCSV)

Founded: 1994 by the Kuwait-America Foundation

Geographic Scope: United States (all across America)

Target Audience: Middle school students (grades 6-8)

Why Middle School Students:

Old enough to have experiences shaping their lives

Not too old to be stuck in detrimental patterns

Have mental acuity to process events in their world and at large

Making subtle choices that can impact their lives

Vulnerable age when becoming teenagers—opportunity to connect and empower good choices

Core Components:

Writing Prompts: Students reflect on three questions:

- What are the causes of youth violence?
- How has violence affected your life?
- What can you do to reduce youth violence?

Classroom Discussions: Builds bridges of communication between educators and students, often provoking conversations that may otherwise never occur

National Recognition Week: Two National Student Ambassadors from each participating community selected to represent their peers in Washington, D.C.

Published Work: Writings compiled into a book presented to the Library of Congress in a special ceremony

Why Writing:

Often first time students express themselves about violence impacts

Cathartic and therapeutic experience

Allows students to take personal, sometimes painful experiences and move forward

Amplifies student voices and insights

Directly related to student experiences (not abstract or academic)

Everyone has a story to tell

Impact:

Nearly 2 million students estimated to have participated since inception

More than 1.2 million students have submitted writings and made personal commitments not to engage in violence

Their words have motivated thousands of adults across the country to volunteer their services

Core Mission: Engage middle school students committed to alleviating violence from their communities by facilitating meaningful and impactful action.

Curriculum Alignment: Activities are aligned with the common core to enhance content curriculum

Organization: NCSV is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization composed of community, business, and governmental leaders

Contact: For more information on DtWT's mission, visit www.dtwt.org

Website: kuwaitamerica.org/programs/dtwt