The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) hosted the 26th annual “Do the Write Thing” (DtWT) luncheon in Salt Lake City last Friday. The ceremony. celebrated the voices of middle school students from across the state who are utilizing the power of the written word to take a stand against youth violence.
Nebo students, Miranda Austin from Mt. Nebo Middle School, Matthew Bakker from Mt. Nebo Middle School, Eliza Johnson from Diamond Fork Middle School, and Quinn Ryskamp from Diamond Fork Middle School were state finalists and received a $300 scholarship.
Do the Write Thing is a program that reinforces a sense of community and makes students feel safe and heard. At the beginning of an academic year, educators facilitate middle school students in alleviating violence in their communities through classroom discussion and introspection, asking students three important questions:
● What are the causes of youth violence?
● How has violence affected your life?
● What can you do to reduce youth violence?
This year, nearly 2,000 students participated in these classroom dialogues. From those discussions, more than 1,200 students moved forward to prepare written entries, with 261 final submissions sent to the state level for review.
“The ‘Do the Write Thing’ challenge demonstrates that our students have the insight and the courage to lead the way toward a safer future,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Molly Hart. “By sharing their experiences and proposing solutions, they demonstrate the leadership and empathy we strive to cultivate in every Utah classroom.”
Sponsored by the USBE Prevention team in collaboration with the National Campaign to Stop Violence, DtWT invites 7th and 8th-grade students to reflect on how youth violence affects their daily lives and to propose actionable solutions for prevention. The initiative encourages a culture of personal responsibility and empowers youth to create safer, more supportive school environments.