Yearbook Reflections from Nate OG

This year, I’ve been volunteering as a creative-writing mentor at SF Skate Club and we recently wrapped up the production of the organization’s annual yearbook.

The students, other volunteers, and staff put the yearbook together in a DIY zine format made of cutting, pasting, drawing, painting, writing, and scanning that carries on the spirit of all the great DIY cultures found in skateboarding, punk, hip-hop, and indie publishing. I oversaw the yearbook process—which honestly meant I got to learn from everyone who helped make this all happen.

There’s so much creativity and heart in all the people at SF Skate Club. It’s an organization serving youth in so many wonderful ways: with their school work, and with building community around values of empathy, kindness, and ambition.

Alumni of the org’s after-school and summer programs stop by constantly to say hi. And some even come back to work for the org. It’s all really about helping youth in the city dream big both on and off their decks.

The yearbook is off to the printers. And the kids and crew here made this thank you card for me (seen in the photo above) with same DIY handcrafted ethos they applied to the yearbook and really all they do.

I’m beyond grateful for their time and energy and the chance to be in their space and contribute to what they do.

-- Nate OG, Yearbook Editor and Volunteer Creative Writing Mentor