Empowering Student Voices Through Pen and Purpose: District Attorney Charme Allen launches Do the Write Thing
District Attorney General Charme Allen was selected to bring Do the Write Thing to Knox County. DtWT is a national challenge that encourages middle school students to help reduce violence through the power of the pen.
The writing challenge invites students to examine the impact of violence by answering three questions: 1) How has violence affected my life? 2) What are the causes of youth violence? and 3) What can I do to reduce youth violence?
“We believe in the transformative power of storytelling and the written word. Do the Write Thing is not just a writing challenge; it’s a call to action for our middle school students to come together, share their stories, and contribute to our community’s collective effort to reduce violence,” said District Attorney General Charme Allen.
The two students with the highest scored essays will be selected to represent Knox County with an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC for Do the Write Thing’s national recognition week. The student ambassadors’ writing will be submitted into the Library of Congress. Additionally, community judges will help score essays and collect data to share with Knox County and Knoxville’s policymakers to inform our community’s strategies to prevent and reduce violence.
To partner or submit an essay, visit dag.knoxcountytn.gov/dtwt, for more information. You can also reach Knox County’s local program coordinator by emailing ag.dtwt@knoxcounty.org or calling 865-215-2515.
DtWT Knox County is made possible by partners like the Lawson Family Foundation and Axle Logistics.
KEY DETAILS for DtWT KNOX COUNTY:
Submission Period: January 30 – March 22
The Do the Write Thing Challenge is a national writing program for middle school students organized by the U.S. National Campaign to Stop Violence. 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. Do the Write Thing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan, organization. No sides. No politics. Just one mission to stop the violence. For more information about the national organization, visit dtwt.org.
If you have any questions regarding the Community Affairs Unit, please contact the Community Affairs Director, Jasmine Rogers, at Jasmine.Rogers@knoxcounty.org. or 865-215-2515.