Think Make Live Youth's D.O.W.N. Program Graduates Class at Pickaway Correctional Institution

On August 14, 2026, a multipurpose room inside Pickaway Correctional Institution looked less like a prison and more like a commencement hall. Round tables draped in gold and burgundy.

A clear podium fronted by a Think Make Live Youth banner. An American flag, a flip chart, and a room full of men and women in prison blues who had just finished the work.

This was graduation day for TMLY's D.O.W.N. program, and the energy was unmistakable. Speakers took the mic one after another, some in suits, some in peer-support green, and one in a black blazer and fitted cap who worked the room like a headliner.

A four-person panel sat up front and applauded right along with the graduates. Hands shot up during Q&A. One graduate, in a crisp white shirt, stood and clapped through the moment as the room rose with her.

Then everyone ate together. Plates, conversation, photos. The kind of ordinary afternoon that, behind those walls, carries extraordinary weight.

What D.O.W.N. Is

D.O.W.N. stands for Doing Outstanding Without Violence. It is Think Make Live Youth's flagship anti-violence curriculum, built for young people ages 13 to 24 and delivered by trained Credible Messengers: mentors whose own lived experience earns them a hearing that lectures never get.

The program runs in weekly sessions, in schools and after school, from September through May. 

Each session blends practical skill-building with real talk. The work covers:

• Career readiness and entrepreneurship, so participants leave with a plan, not just a pep talk
• Conflict resolution, practiced in a weekly circle built on problem-solving and empathy
• Wellness and healing from trauma, grounded in the Circle of Courage model and the Developmental Relationships Framework
• Civic engagement, including direct conversations with elected officials
• Arts and expression, from guest-speaker sessions to designing anti-violence hoodies

In the community, the year closes with a youth-led summit that participants plan and host for their peers. At Pickaway, it closed with a graduation, a room full of applause, and a shared meal.

Why It Matters

TMLY exists to interrupt youth gun violence and open real pathways to work. Taking D.O.W.N. inside a correctional facility pushes that mission where it matters most: with people who will one day walk back into Columbus-area neighborhoods and need a plan, a network, and a different way to handle conflict.

The photos tell that story without a caption. Peer-support leaders in bright green shirts sat shoulder to shoulder with participants. Facility staff and outside guests shared the room with Credible Messengers. Graduates asked questions, cracked jokes, posed for pictures, and listened closely when it counted.

Reentry starts long before release day. Programs like D.O.W.N. make sure it starts with skills, mentorship, and someone in the room who believes the next chapter can be different.

Get Involved

Every D.O.W.N. graduation is funded, staffed, and sustained by people who decided to show up. Here's how to join them:

• Donate. TMLY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 82-3499615), and gifts are tax-deductible. Make a donation.
• Volunteer or mentor. Bring your career story, your trade, or your time to a weekly session.
• Partner. Schools, employers, agencies, and facilities can host the program or open doors to jobs and training.
• Enroll. Young people ages 13 to 24 can sign up for D.O.W.N. for the September-to-May cohort.

Reach TMLY at info@thinkmakelive.org or 614-259-7226.