diff --git a/bin/initialize b/bin/initialize
index 3277c9053dd1107740ed7a02234db6acfaaecaa8..2cc65b48d6a8aab9cf67d2d933d93cbfb7953df1 100755
--- a/bin/initialize
+++ b/bin/initialize
@@ -18,10 +18,7 @@ FIXME: describe how to cite this lesson.
 ROOT_CONTRIBUTING_MD = '''\
 # Contributing
 
-Thank you for thinking about contributing to [Software Carpentry][swc-site].
-It's people like you that make us as useful as we are.
-
-[Software Carpentry][swc-site] is an open source project,
+[Software Carpentry][swc-site] and [Data Carpentry][dc-site] are open source projects,
 and we welcome contributions of all kinds:
 new lessons,
 fixes to existing material,
@@ -107,6 +104,11 @@ or encourage others to do so.
 The maintainers are community volunteers,
 and have final say over what gets merged into the lesson.
 
+## Our Template
+
+[This documentation][example-site] explains how we format our lessons
+(and is itself an example of that formatting).
+
 ## Other Resources
 
 General discussion of [Software Carpentry][swc-site] happens on
@@ -114,19 +116,16 @@ the [discussion mailing list][discuss-list],
 which everyone is welcome to join.
 You can also [reach us by email][contact].
 
-These contribution guidelines borrow from [this template][contrib-template]
-created by [Nadia Eghbal][eghbal].
-
 [contact]: admin@software-carpentry.org
-[contrib-template]: https://github.com/nayafia/contributing-template
 [dc-issues]: https://github.com/issues?q=user%3Adatacarpentry
 [dc-lessons]: http://datacarpentry.org/lessons/
+[dc-site]: http://datacarpentry.org/
 [discuss-list]: http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org
-[eghbal]: https://github.com/nayafia
+[example-site]: https://gvwilson.github.io/new-lesson-example/
 [github-flow]: https://guides.github.com/introduction/flow/
 [how-contribute]: https://egghead.io/series/how-to-contribute-to-an-open-source-project-on-github
-[issues]: https://github.com/gvwilson/{LESSON-NAME}/issues/
-[repo]: https://github.com/gvwilson/{LESSON-NAME}/
+[issues]: https://github.com/{USERNAME}/{LESSON-NAME}/issues/
+[repo]: https://github.com/{USERNAME}/{LESSON-NAME}/
 [swc-issues]: https://github.com/issues?q=user%3Aswcarpentry
 [swc-lessons]: http://software-carpentry.org/lessons/
 [swc-site]: http://software-carpentry.org/