In partnership with:

The Lorain Police Department
The Morning Journal
The Lorain City Schools

The Lorain Police Department is proud to announce the beginning of a new program known as the Do The Right Thing Program. Do The Right Thing is a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing students within the community who are doing good things. Nowadays, so much emphasis is placed on what kids do wrong, that the Lorain Police Department thought it was time to start acknowledging what kids do right. The program is designed to positively impact the youth of our area by publicly recognizing children who distinguish themselves through their behavior and by establishing them as role models for their peers.

History
The Do The Right Thing Program originated in 1990 when a teenager was recognized by the Miami Police Department for turning in a loaded gun that he had found, despite pressure from peers not to do so. A psychologist from the community noted that the young man was visibly moved as he was applauded for his positive behavior by more than 100 police officers and staff who attended a ceremony in his honor. The psychologist suggested that a formal youth recognition program be implemented by the department on an ongoing basis. The resulting project, Do The Right Thing, was instituted to reward children for their positive accomplishments and to enhance the lives of many of the city’s youth.

How the Program Works
Each month, children from the Lorain, on the basis of their exemplary behavior/attitude, will be nominated by police officers, teachers, and the public, for the Do The Right Thing Award. Up to ten students will be honored in a monthly ceremony. In order to reach as many children as possible and reinforce their positive behavior, the ten monthly honorees will receive a plaque, incentive prize package, and recognition in the Do The Right Thing public service announcement created for the program by The Morning Journal.

Program Goals
There are four main goals of Lorain’s Do The Right Thing Program.

1. To build self-esteem in our youth by reinforcing socially desirable behavior.
2. To foster positive relations between the police and students by building bridges of trust, understanding, and civic responsibility.
3. To allow residents of the City of Lorain to see the positive actions of our young citizens and demonstrate that “good kids” are newsworthy.
4. To allow the community to publicly thank our youth for their achievements.

Nominations
Do The Right Thing is a community-wide initiative, bringing together police, businesses, media, community groups and schools. Do The Right Thing emphasizes positive traits like courage, peace, service and integrity. Displaying good character is the sole criteria for a child’s nomination- judges choose winners based on traits which exhibit positive behavior.

Previous Do the Right Thing™ Award Winners!

Nominees May Have…

• turned in something that was lost
• helped a friend who was struggling
• shown concern for their environment
• helped keep their school safe
• volunteered their time to their community
• helped the police solve a crime

If you know of a student that resides or attends school in the City of Lorain who is deserving of the Do The Right Thing Award, based on his or her outstanding actions and attitudes, please complete and send in the Do The Right Thing nomination form. Give our youth the recognition they deserve!