Buckeye Reporter

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost recently commended 10 Youngstown students as finalists in the "Do the Write Thing Program," aimed at addressing youth violence. AG Yost, in collaboration with the national program, recognized the students for their insightful essays on violence and solutions for their community.

In a booklet containing the writings of the Youngstown finalists, Yost expressed his appreciation for the students' candor and thoughtfulness, stating, “They tackled the difficult subject with candor, thoughtfulness and insight beyond their years.”

The program, which began in Ohio in 2021, has expanded to include four other districts besides Youngstown: Canton, Lima, and Zanesville. This marks the third year that Youngstown has provided seventh- and eighth-graders with a platform to share personal experiences and potentially find catharsis.

Despite Attorney General Yost's absence at the award ceremony held at B&O Station in Youngstown, he commended the students in a video message, saying, “But your essays were thoughtful, eye-opening, provocative – exactly what we need to learn from you, our young citizens, to give us a better understanding of the world you’d like to live in and how it looks now from your point of view.”

The essays were judged by business leaders and community members, with 10 stories selected for publication in a booklet to be distributed statewide. Two students, Treyvaughn Belmonte and Sheliyan Roach, will represent Youngstown at the national conference in Washington, D.C., along with six students from other participating districts.

Youngstown Superintendent Jeremy Batchelor praised the program for providing students with a platform to express themselves, stating, “Our scholars brought raw emotion and transparency to their writings. Their expressions have raised the level of understanding of the trauma in the community.”

The Do the Write Thing program, founded in 1994 by the National Campaign to Stop Youth Violence, has had a significant impact on millions of students nationwide.