Students participating in the national After-School All-Stars after-school program will learn shoe design from Sketchers. The athletic footwear brand will teach classes about the creative process and mechanics of footwear design in a curriculum developed by the Sketchers fitness Group design team. In February Sketchers hosted 25 ASAS students from Griffith Middle School in East Los Angeles. The students went to Sketchers corporate headquarters in Manhattan Beach, California for a four-week program. The program goal was to produce an actual prototype shoe at the end of the course. The initial program led the way to a national program at schools nationwide.
While the footwear company may get some market research from the program, it is investing time and resources in a valuable activity for students, many of them “disadvantaged youth.”
ASAS is a national after-school program available year-round founded by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is designed to equip children with skills and experiences needed to become productive members of the 21st century workforce. Participating children participate in free programs that include academic support, enrichment opportunities and health and fitness activities.