Boston Public Schools Help Teen Center Youth to Design Shoes with a Purpose

Fighting hunger. Strengthening families. Promoting world peace. 

These were just a few of the powerful causes explored by youth at Catholic Charities Boston’s Teen Center this summer through the Boston Public Schools’ Summer Learning Program. Each year, the program gives students the chance to dive into real-world topics by exploring different business models and engaging in hands-on projects. 

This summer, alongside their summer studies in math and English Language Arts, students were given a unique creative challenge: to design their own custom shoes, with each pair inspired by and dedicated to a meaningful cause of their choice. 

To celebrate their hard work, students presented their final shoe designs to an audience that included family, friends, Catholic Charities Boston staff, and special guests from New Balance. Representatives from New Balance came to see the students’ creative visions come to life and learn more about the research and inspiration behind each design. The company also generously donated the materials the students used to create their custom shoes. 

BPS Summer Learning Instructor Linda Cruz who worked at the Teen Center this summer shared how thrilled she was to see the joy and pride students took in the project. More than just a summer learning experience, it was an opportunity for personal growth and empowerment—a reminder that each of them are capable of anything they set their minds to. In her remarks at the final presentation, Linda emphasized that the positive, welcoming environment at the Teen Center was integral to the success of the project. 

“Our students didn’t just show up to any program,” Linda said. “They showed up to a space where they are known, seen, and valued—a space embedded in their community, where learning is personal and relationships drive everything.” 

“At the heart of our curriculum was a powerful guiding question,” she continued. “If you could design a shoe that would solve a real-world problem, what would it be and why? Our students took that question and ran with it, literally.” 

Over the course of the two-month program, students researched shoemaking, sketched their ideas, and wrote personal stories that brought their concepts to life. They were mentored by a local artist, Tater Nohezi Robinson, who guided them through the creative process and helped bring their visions into tangible form through hands-on artwork and design. 

During the project, the students also had the chance to meet Robinson’s uncle – who happens to be the renowned Boston-based artist Paul Goodnight, who shared insights from his career and offered words of advice and inspiration. 

Director of the Teen Center Joao Dos Santos said he is incredibly grateful to all of the community partners who have stepped up to make this project possible. What was most rewarding, he said, was witnessing the meaning and purpose the teens found in their work. 

“The problem I chose was cancer,” said one Teen Center member, Zarobbee Anntanay Downing. “The reason why is because my mom suffered from cancer, and I just really wanted to represent her a bit. People go through so much, and they’re always fighting—and that’s what my mom always did. I wanted to honor her with this shoe.” 

As Zarobbee walked down the makeshift red carpet in the Teen Center gym, holding out her pink shoe for all to see, she glanced at her mother—now in remission—smiling through tears in the front row.  

“It was really special to do something for her and represent her with my shoe,” she said. 

To learn more about Catholic Charities Boston’s Teen Center, click here. To find out how you can support the Teen Center, visit our Ways to Give page.