Alycia

Design FC 2018 - Present, Design FC Academy Student.

12th grade, Chester PA.

Alycia joined Design FC in 2022 as a 5th grader and quickly fell in love with the program. After graduating from Stetser Elementary, she returned the following year as a member of Design FC's Junior Coach cohort and hasn't slowed down since.

In 2023, Alycia participated in a sneaker design workshop with adidas, where she and her classmates learned about careers at the global brand and designed their own custom sneakers. The following year, her talents and leadership earned her a spot in the inaugural Design FC Youth Creative Collective, a project that brought together young designers from around the world to co-create a jersey representing six cities across the globe.

That same year, Alycia joined an experiential learning trip to New York City, visiting the WNBA, Girls Who Code, and Google to explore what careers in design, sport, and tech actually look like up close.

Now in the Design FC Academy, Alycia was paired with Alex Taylor, an NYC-based designer who works closely with adidas and the WNBA. As a passionate artist and basketball player, the pairing was a natural fit. She spent the summer collaborating with Alex on a basketball-inspired collection and traveled to New York for a studio visit to experience his creative process firsthand.

Alycia is now in 8th grade and continuing to grow her skills in the Academy. We can't wait to see what comes next.

Kevin

Design FC 2018 - Present, Design FC Academy Student.

12th grade, Chester PA.

"Design FC is always giving me that key piece in my life that makes me feel like I'm actually doing something. It's right there to make me realize I'm doing something with my life, and makes me realize there is always something bigger in store for me and my future."

Kevin was the first student to join Design FC in 2018, as a 5th grader from Chester, PA. He has been at the heart of the program ever since. As Kevin grew, so did Design FC, evolving to create the Design FC Academy during the pandemic specifically to meet his needs. Design FC equipped Kevin with his own MacBook and Adobe Creative Suite, giving him the tools to ignite his creative career.

Since then, Kevin has collaborated with major brands including EA Sports and New Balance, worked alongside athletes like Tim Weah, and presented to rooms full of executives across sport and fashion. He launched his own apparel brand, Prosperity in Abundance, fully funded by Design FC, and took it further by partnering with KITH's Kinnect Foundation. Now fully proficient in Adobe Illustrator and industry-grade design software, Kevin is a senior in high school and is the first student in program history to have applied to a fashion degree program.

Today, Kevin is Design FC's Associate Designer, working on projects, mentoring students, and helping the organization grow as it expands across the country. Most recently, he was tapped to lead a design project with the Philadelphia 76ers, a collaboration that gives his hometown students a direct connection to one of the biggest franchises in professional sports. He returns weekly to mentor the next generation of Design FC students at the same school where his journey began, and at the Youth Design & Sport Summit in New York City, he took the stage alongside leaders from Nike, EA Sports, and Fanatics. Students voted his session their favorite of the day.

Kevin continues to blaze a path for our students in Chester, and we're excited to continue supporting him as he develops his design career.

IMPACT

Since 2018

Youth served.
Cities across the US + UK.
of participants expressed increased creative confidence.

OUR 2025 ANNUAL REPORT

Design FC is a design non-profit and youth-driven brand that brings together the worlds of sport and creativity to inspire the next generation. Through various design programs and industry-driven collaborations, we provide youth with life changing experiences, opportunities, and access, while giving them a platform to creatively express who they are.

Design FC’s vision is to give every 5th grader in the country a creative outlet, a platform to share their story, and an early introduction to creative careers in sport and design.

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Testimonials

“What sets Design FC apart from other afterschool partners is the depth and originality of their approach. By combining design, storytelling, and self-reflection, they create an environment where students not only learn new skills, but also build confidence, express their identities, and feel more connected to their peers and school community. "

- Erin Kane, Director, Grants and Partnerships, St. Louis Public School District (STLPS)

“Design FC is always giving me that key piece in my life that makes me feel like I'm actually doing something. It's right there to make me realize I'm doing something with my life, and makes me realize there is always something bigger in store for me and my future.”

- Kevin Stanford, Design FC Student

"It has been inspiring to see students tap into their creativity while developing real-world business skills. Working with the Design FC team has been a positive experience, and we appreciate their commitment to empowering our students”

- Shakanda White, Program Director, Chester Upland School District (CUSD)

RESEARCH + EVIDENCE.

Design FC addresses two interconnected challenges facing youth in under-resourced communities: limited access to arts education and the absence of early, meaningful career exposure.

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Arts Education gets cut from schools that need it the most.

Creative programming is being cut disproportionately in low-income school districts, even though research shows students from low-income backgrounds who participate in the arts are significantly more likely to graduate high school.

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Career exploration starts too late.

Most programs target high school or college students, but research shows career aspirations begin forming around age 10 and remain stable through adolescence. For students in under-resourced communities, what they believe is possible is shaped more by circumstances than ability.

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Our solution.

Design FC reaches students early, through something they already care about, and gives them access to creative education and career exposure that their schools can't provide alone.

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What we're seeing in our students after completing one year of Design FC programming in Chester, PA:

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reported feeling more confident in their creative skills.
of students said they would like to do Design FC again.
of students said they felt more comfortable being themselves.
of students said they felt more connected to classmates or teachers.
of students said they could see themselves becoming a designer when they grow up.
of students said being in Design FC made them more excited about going to school.

STUDENT STORIES

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