July 31, 2024
Nearly three dozen high school students dove deeply into Converse’s design process over the last two weeks, transforming ideas into personal apparel and footwear collections. Teens worked side-by-side with more than 20 Converse employees, including graphic designers, color specialists, sneaker designers, product operation specialists, visual merchandisers, store managers, and interns.
Working in teams and coached by TPZ educators and STEAM staff and the Converse mentors, students developed designs that served different consumer muses. Young people from across Boston refined design concepts before Converse artists transformed the sketches, words, and ideas into digital assets that became the building block of custom t-shirts. Students also explored the sneaker industry and customized their own pairs of Chuck Taylors to reflect their identity and uphold their consumer muse. At the conclusion of the Deep Dive, students showcased their pieces in a gallery walk while networking and strengthening their social capital with Converse team members, TPZ staff, and families.
This was the third consecutive year that Converse partnered with TPZ to offer the popular summer program. Building on prior years’ successes, more students were able to enjoy a longer, deeper dive into the Converse design process and opportunities to network with the Converse team. The Deep Dive was made possible with generous funding from Converse and a strong partnership with the company’s Social & Community Impact Team.
Continued below \/
Reflections from this summer’s Converse Deep Dive students include:
“This experience sets you up to be open-minded when collaborating with other people.” – Sarah
“Hearing about the different roles and areas of the Converse business was a learning process for me … and really insightful.” – Kendall
“I learned about collaboration and working together to come up with new ideas. I learned to be patient, too.” – Zharia
“Creativity is something that most people don’t talk about, but it’s good to experience together.” – Jediel
“You can learn a creative mindset!” – Famay
