How to Write an Obituary for the "Every 15 Minutes" Program

Every 15 Minutes is a program targeted toward high school students, and it raises awareness that a teenager dies from an alcohol-related collision every 15 minutes.The two-day interactive program includes reading obituaries of students who die from simulated alcohol-related traffic deaths. One of the student activities is to read a fellow student's obituary. The guidelines for writing these obituaries are provided at the retreats.

Instructions

1. Provide a photograph of the "deceased" student. The obituary is intended to be realistic--as if the student did die in an alcohol-related traffic incident. The subject of the obituary is a student at the Every 15 Minutes event.

2. Include the deceased student's full name beneath the photograph. The picture of the student and his name are the aspects that draw immediate attention. Consider that you lost a friend to an alcohol-related traffic death and how you would want to remember her in an obituary.

3. In the first paragraph, lead with the student's name and the date that he was killed. And, yes, use the word "killed." Tell the student's age and school affiliation. Briefly describe the circumstances of his death. This opening paragraph must hit the reader hard with the tragedy of the death.

4. Provide a few sentences that describe the student's activities in school and/or the community. This short section is intended to show what the school and the community has lost.

5. Write a sentence or two about who survives the deceased student. Follow with memorial service information. In the final sentence, note an endearing characteristic about the student.

Resources

• Every 15 Minutes
• Manual for Every 15 Minutes