PLC Detroit, the only design-focused Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and Foot Locker, Inc., a global leader in athletic footwear and apparel, successfully launched the School of Emerging Excellence (SEE), a nationwide program aimed at recruiting the future creatives of tomorrow.
“SEE was created to identify, develop, and place high school students into college,” stated PLC Detroit president, Dr. D’Wayne Edwards. “Our kids cannot become what they cannot SEE.”
In partnership with Foot Locker, SEE has collaborated with the National Arts Education Association (NAEA) and community organizations nationwide in underrepresented communities to provide hands-on workshops, downloadable templates, monthly competitions, and online tutorials. These resources will allow students to SEE the career opportunities available to them in the design industry.
The program tackles the alarming statistic that less than 10% of Black students are currently enrolled at design colleges and universities nationwide. Educational inequality, stemming from limited resources, subpar curricula, and insufficient exposure to design career paths, perpetuates this disparity. SEE aims to break this cycle by providing opportunities and preparing students for PLC Detroit’s degree programs debuting in 2025.
“The launch of the SEE program represents a pivotal milestone in our ongoing efforts to address the systemic lack of diversity within the design industry,” adds Dr. Edwards. “By empowering and nurturing talented high school students from underrepresented communities, we are enriching our educational offerings and cultivating a more inclusive and equitable future for the design profession as a whole.”
The initiative kicked off on November 15, 2024, at PLC Detroit’s Foot Locker Creation Stu/deo, featuring students from University Prep Art & Design High School (UPREP) in Detroit, who participated in a dynamic design workshop.
This engaging session included:
• A panel discussion: Industry professionals shared insights into career opportunities in design.
• Hands-on learning: Students received a practical introduction to design, color, materials, and storytelling techniques.
• Creative challenge: Students designed a unique colorway inspired by a story prompt, using provided art supplies, which they could keep.
• Showcase and feedback: Students presented their designs and received constructive criticism from the panel, including representatives from Foot Locker.
• Award Ceremony: The winning design earned its creator a Foot Locker gift card, a tablet or computer, and a coveted invitation to the PLC Detroit Combine summer camp program, a key step for aspiring designers to secure scholarships with PLC Detroit.
UPREP student, Cassidy White, was the winner at the initiative kickoff. Describing her design, Aric Armon, the senior manager of SEE, noted, “Cassidy designed a punk-rock-inspired shoe with spikes running on the toe, teeth along the sole, and an anatomically accurate tongue.”
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“Foot Locker is proud to partner with Pensole Lewis College on a nationwide recruiting platform for high school creatives,” said Tai Neal, Vice President of Strategy for LEED at Foot Locker Inc. “Through the School of Emerging Excellence (SEE) program, we’re empowering the next generation of talent and equipping young visionaries with essential education tools in design so they can become the creative leaders of tomorrow.”
The SEE program is set to expand beyond its Detroit launch, with future camps planned at various Foot Locker locations across the U.S. to ensure a wider reach and access to talented high school students nationwide.
