Paws for a Cause Design Scholarship returns for its second year with a panel of judges, including students Maki S. and Teeny N., who designed last year’s winning prints.
Skechers continues to connect young creatives nationwide to the company’s lifesaving BOBS movement with the second year of its national Skechers Paws for a Cause Design Scholarship.
Officially kicking off on September 3, the program engages students as designers to create animal-themed prints for the BOBS collection, which builds awareness for shelter pets as part of its philanthropic offering.
The program’s second year will include last year’s scholarship winners, Maki S., and Teeny N., who will join the judging panel to help select this year’s honorees.
Said Maki, whose rescue pups inspired her winning “Bark ‘n’ Drive“ design, “The scholarship I received from Skechers is now helping to fund my current school year, and their mentorship has helped me learn how to take my ideas to a professional level. It’s been invaluable to go from designing styles in school to seeing what it takes to create them for consumers, and it was so exciting to get press for the first produced print I’ve ever made.“
“It’s hard to believe that the loss of my best friend Firefly has inspired such an incredible journey of growth in my life,“ added Teeny, who designed her winning feline print in honor of her childhood shelter cat. “She meant the world to me, and to see the style she inspired in stores and on animal lovers across the country has been such a profound gift. To join this year’s panel of judges on top of everything we’ve received has made this experience even sweeter. I look forward to seeing more students share their hearts and designs this fall and to play a role in helping them achieve their dreams, just like Skechers has for us.“
Established to enable young creatives and designers to further their education and help shelter pets through their personal stories, the BOBS from Skechers Paws for a Cause Design Scholarship will select BOBS from Skechers prints designed by two winning college students for production in the 2025 collection.
The winners will each receive a $10,000 college scholarship from the Skechers Foundation and one-on-one corporate mentorship sessions.
Skechers’ scholarship program is open to students enrolled in colleges and universities in the U.S. and will be enrolled in the 2025/26 academic year.
The application consists of creating a dog– or cat-themed print for a BOBS from Skechers shoe, as well as writing about the design and why the BOBS from Skechers mission is important to them.
Applications are being accepted now through October 31, 2024. The winners will be announced in early 2025.
With $11 million donated since 2015, BOBS from Skechers has helped save and support over two million shelter dogs and cats and continues to impact animals through sales of the collection.
A supporter of Petco Love’s network of 4,000 animal welfare organizations in the U.S., Skechers has given funds to help provide pet adoptions, vaccination events, check celebrations for organizations, and flight transport for animals to reach future homes.
BOBS from Skechers products are available at Skechers stores and retailers nationwide.
For every specially marked item purchased in 2024, a donation is made to support shelter pets and animal welfare organizations in the U.S., Canada and select international markets.
Image courtesy Skechers
