Youngstown City Schools Rayen Early College Middle School scholars Madison Keys and Kane Pickard were recently joined by six other students as Ohio's ambassadors for the "Do the Write Thing" conference in Washington, D.C.
Madison and Kane were selected as ambassadors out of the top ten YCSD submissions from the "Do the Write Thing Challenge," a national program that asks middle schoolers to discuss how violence impacts them and to share their ideas about reducing violence in their community.
The office of Ohio Attorney General, David Yost, launched the program in Ohio two years ago with Springfield City Schools. Since then, "Do the Write Thing" has expanded to four more school districts: Canton, Lima, Youngstown, and Zanesville. This was Youngstown's first year participating.
Accompanying Madison and Kane at the conference were their mothers, Penny Wells, Executive Director of Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past, and Rayen Early College Middle School teacher, Tina Vaupel.
Congratulations, Madison and Kane! Thank you for sharing your impactful words and representing Youngstown City School District and the city of Youngstown.
Photo caption: Team YCSD at the Do the Write Thing Conference in Washington D.C., July, 2023.