Our Impact
We believe it is imperative to share our work and our impact in an effort to activate youth agency, address the root causes of youth violence and to work towards our long term vision of building an inclusive and equitable future for all.
Student-centered and student-led.
The strength of DTWT has been the large number of micro-conversations that have been sparked by the stories and writings of our students, connecting them to parents, guardians, educators, community members and leaders. The number and depth of conversations in classrooms, offices and homes across America, based on our students’ writings, has increased with positive outcomes following these conversations.
While measuring results are important, not every result can be counted, tracked or fit neatly into a framework. At DTWT, our impact is often observed in the intangible aspects of increased empathy, communication, trust, awareness, resilience, and impact in our students and in the adult community.
Benefits
Empathy
Educators discover their students needs and reflect on experiences
Develop/ Cultivates empathic practices in how educators, parents, community leaders understand and respond to students and survivors of violence. (greater empathy and understanding for victims of violence·
Creates a greater awareness of violence in the school and community
Communication
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Increases communication with peers and family members, rather than resorting to violence and improves communication at home with students and spouse
Creates a greater awareness of violence in the school and community
Active and compassionate listening towards our students creates for more effective interpersonal relationships.
Mutually trusted relationships
Establishes mutually trusted relationships with students
Initiates a better understanding of the impact of violence on their children
Enhances mutual respect by allowing students to be included in the process and to feel seen, heard and validated.
Awareness
Heightens awareness of healing and bonding between students and their families
Increases tolerance and reduces judgment regarding differences among peers
Facilitates discussions that result in greater tolerance and compassion
students form an appreciation and critical understanding of one’s identity and worldview in determining personal perspectives and biases while developing deeper relationships with diverse people and communities.
Resilience
Heightens awareness of healing and bonding between students and their families
Creates a belief that their positive actions can make a difference
Increases knowledge about students leading to attitudinal changes and adapting their instruction
Fosters an understanding of their child’s concerns
Impact
Students continue building awareness
Encourages more positive behaviors and attitudes toward peers and teachers
Students work towards creating a positive impact on an individual and collective level
“Changing Minds”
Do The Write Thing is a proven program that can mitigate the negative impact of violence on a child when teachers, educators and volunteers open pathways using the “Five Gestures” suggested by OJJDPs’ “Changing Mind” initiative to help heal a child.
Celebrate
Publicly recognize and praise students and encourage them in their positive endeavors
Comfort
Offer students a safe place to express their stories and ideas
Inspire
Support students to be catalysts for change in their own life and in others by placing dynamic, exemplary people and stories before them
Listen
Encourage students to share their stories in an environment that is considerate
Collaboration
Guide students to identify challenges and then communicate those challenges and ideas in their own words
Reports
The impact of DTWT has been directly studied by The University of Texas at El Paso and by a study commissioned by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and has been the subject of a dissertation at Lamar University.
