Timeline, Guidelines & Judgi

About The Do the Write Thing Challenge

The Do the Write Thing Challenge (DtWT) is a national program sponsored by the National Campaign to Stop Violence that began in Washington, D.C. in 1996.

The mission of DtWT is to encourage middle school students to discuss and write about youth violence in their communities and to make personal commitments to do something about this critical issue. Essays are judged on three criteria: Relationship to theme, originality/creativity and emotional impact.

The Colorado DtWT program began under the leadership of attorneys and staff at Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP in 2000. Over 1,500 Colorado students and nearly 100 teachers have participated in the Colorado Do the Write Thing Challenge since the program began in our state in 2000.

Today, teachers are using the Challenge as a platform for connecting, discussing and writing with their students on a topic that affects us all.

The lessons that both students and our community learn from this experience can last a lifetime, and the DtWT program offers middle school students the opportunity to present their solutions to the issues of youth violence that they face.

The best thing was knowing that my work was read by adults in my community who care about what I have to say.