Student writing appears on Big Belly trash cans in the Tenderloin

Our students’ writing doesn’t just appear in books. It’s been on coffee cups, in bus shelters, on the walls of bakeries, and on the top of pizza boxes (just to name a few). And now, it’s going to appear in a new place in the Tenderloin: on Big Belly trash cans!

We partnered with the Tenderloin Community Benefit District and local artist Dan Mok to create these engaging and beautiful visuals filled with student writing. You’ll be able to see them on 10 of these trash cans throughout the Tenderloin. They provide an important resource in helping to make trash disposal and street cleanliness more accessible while also adding beauty and art to folks’ everyday experience of the streets and sidewalks. 

One of the poems you’ll see on these Big Belly cans is from Helayne B., age 13. She writes, “I am like a book, different, magical, quiet, but full of stories.”

We’re delighted that our students’ writing is being featured alongside other community artists. You can read the full press release and learn more about other featured artists here. Next time you’re in the Tenderloin, make sure to notice what’s on the side of the trash cans you pass by — it might just help bring a little brightness to your day.