A group of USC students is teaching inner-city children how to channel their voices through art by creating pairs of customized sneakers.
As a part of President Steven B. Sample's "The Art and Adventure of Leadership" class, seven students formed the nonprofit organization Kicks for a Cause.
"The goal of the project was to observe and practice leadership," said Amy Lin, a senior majoring in computer science and a member of the group. "We all cared about the issue of diversity and the need to empower others in the community."
After brainstorming different ways to draw attention to these issues through their organization, the students settled on the idea of customized shoe creation.
"We learned about social entrepreneurship in our class and decided we could combine that concept with diversity and art in general," said Christopher Becker, a senior majoring in economics and history.
The group decided to partner with Jefferson High School and the Variety Boys and Girls Club to allow students to express their creativity through shoe creation.
"We specifically wanted to target inner-city kids," Lin said. "We looked for schools or programs with a specific art initiative."
After working with teachers to see which students were most artistically inclined, the group chose 30 students from Jefferson High and 30 from the Boys and Girl Club to work on project.
Students were then given a pair of shoes and allowed to express themselves artistically by depicting one particular issue they found relevant in their lives.
"All of the students were very enthusiastic about the idea that they would get to participate in such a unique project," Becker said. "A lot of them had heard about customized shoe design before and the idea of combining it with social causes really peaked their interest."
The group found that many of the shoe designs showed similar issues.
"The most common local issues that were expressed were gang violence, drugs and graffiti," Becker said. "One student at [the Boys and Girls Club] told us a story about how they went through a lockdown after shots were fired outside the facility - now they aren't allowed to go outside."
The most common international issues expressed by the students were global warming and immigration.
Proceeds from the shoe sale will go toward the two institutions involved as well as charities that support various causes identified by the students' artwork.
"Our job is to find a charity that matches each issue; if a student's issue is global warming we will find a charity that supports that issue and donate half of the proceeds of that sale on behalf of the student," Lin said. "The other half will go to the school."
The shoes will be sold for 0 to 0, depending on the styles and market value of the shoes.
They will be available on the Kicks for a Cause website, and interested buyers will need to inquire about the specific prices.
Michael Drachkovitch, a junior majoring in international relations, said he hopes the project will continue to grow and develop within the Los Angeles community.
"One of the problems we are facing now is the sustainability of our project for years to come," Drachkovitch said. "We are looking to create permanent partners with local schools and work with professional shoe artists who would jump on the project."
The shoes will soon be on display and will be available for purchase at a later date.
"I was looking for the experience when I decided to take this class," Drachkovitch said. "I came out with an amazing one." |
BETA