As you ride AATA buses all around this lovely area of ours, you may notice something new. AATA buses now feature POETRY. That’s right, there is POETRY on the BUSES. Which, in and of itself, is awesome. Making it even sweeter, though, is the fact that this poetry we speak of was written by students at Ozone House, a safe house for area youth located in Ypsilanti. AND it was written by the students there through the guidance of 826michigan intern Liz McCannell, who’s been going to the center once a week to teach writing workshops.

Tuesday night, we gathered in the Ypsilanti Transit Center for framed cards of the poems (thanks Lois!), homemade cookies (thank Liz!), and good cheer (thanks Colleen!). It was, as ever, incredible to see the looks on the faces of the students as they realized that their words would be read by (and inspiring) hundreds of people over the next few months as they toured the city on seventy AATA buses.

Thanks so much to Colleen O’Brien from Ozone House, who is ALWAYS a joy to work with! Thanks so much to Lois Crawford from AATA for pairing up with us once again for this inspiring project! Thanks so much to Liz, an integral part of one of our best-ever summer intern crews! And THANKS, as always, to the students, who continue to inspire, move, and amaze us.