Akron Sneaker Academy combines fashion and STEM for kids

Dominique Waters knows the feeling of confidence a new pair of shoes can give a person. Growing up, the first day of school meant “a fresh pair of kicks” for Waters.

“Even though we grew up in lower-income, inner city, a pair of sneakers can really give you that empowerment to just be whatever you want to be,” Waters said. “It makes you feel like you are on the same playing field as others.”

Today, Waters uses that same love of sneakers to connect with kids through his nonprofit, the Akron Sneaker Academy. With sneaker culture as the entry point, he builds after-school and summer programming focused on STEM education and problem-based learning.

“The good thing about sneaker culture is that every kid comes to the table,” Waters said. “They come confident; they understand the subject matter.”

He continued, “I think sometimes in school we teach students stuff, and it’s kind of over their head or a little foreign. But if I sit them down and start talking about sneakers, now they almost come to the table more ready and more excited about learning. It’s a captivating topic for our youth.”

Waters spent more than a decade working in the fashion and retail industry. After five years in New York City where he worked at Burberry and Louis Vuitton, he moved home to Akron in 2020. In 2022, he became the manager of UNKNWN. Co-founded by LeBron James, the downtown store sold shoes and streetwear for men. 

It was at UNKNWN that Waters immersed himself in sneaker culture — and saw how it brought the community together. It was there that the seeds for Akron Sneaker Academy took root. When the store closed in January 2024, he was ready for his next move.

Sneaker culture meets STEM education

Akron Sneaker Academy hosts programming throughout the year, but summer is where it really lives, Waters said. Last year, he hosted a three-week Sneaker Camp at Summit Lake’s Reach Opportunity Center for Akron middle schoolers. This year, he’s bringing back the Akron camp and launching one in Barberton.

Waters designed the camp’s curriculum in partnership with Youth Success Summit and APS teachers Chanique Byrd and Skylar Roberts.

Last summer, campers met with John Luck, president of Akron-based retailer Lucky Shoes. They also toured LeBron James’ Home Court at House Three Thirty, created sneaker keychains, interviewed business leaders and had a sneaker design contest.

For the camp week devoted to science and engineering, Waters filled it with hands-on activities.

“We were at Summit Lake, and one day we went out to the lake. I’m dipping shoes in water, and we’re talking about water resistance. One time I ran over a shoe with my car, and we’re talking about durability,” he said. “I let all the kids just cut up a pair of sneakers with scissors, and they just went crazy, just to see their materials.”

Youth Success Summit Executive Director Rachel Tecca worked in education for 31 years. She knows how difficult it is to run a program for 30 kids that is both educational and fun. When she visited Summer Sneaker Camp last year, Tecca was struck by two things: it was very well organized, and the kids were having a lot of fun.

“You saw that kids were learning, but it wasn’t a lesson, an explicit, ‘You’re gonna learn reading,’ or ‘You’re gonna learn math right now,’” she said. “It was, ‘Hey, we need to solve this problem, and you may need to do a little research.’ So all of those things that they intentionally designed, and seeing kids excited about digging into that, it really stood out to me.”

Creating Akron’s next generation of innovators

Akron Marathon President & CEO Anne Bitong met Waters when she invited him to join her organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee. She was impressed by his “innovative approach to education through sneakers” and his commitment to growing Akron Sneaker Academy. She now serves as the group’s board president.

“It’s about more than just sneakers,” Bitong said, “it’s about opening doors to future opportunities and empowering kids to see themselves in spaces they might not have considered before.”

This year’s Akron Summer Sneaker Camp will be at the I PROMISE Institute, which is located at the University of Akron’s Infocision Stadium. Because of the location, Waters plans to give the Akron campers a taste of college life too, with visits to the College of Engineering and Polymer Science and the Mary Schiller Myers School of Art, plus the rec center and student union. 

Waters knows how beneficial quality summer programming can be to kids. Growing up in Akron, he benefited from it. With Akron Sneaker Academy, he wants to help fuel Akron’s next generation of creators and innovators.

“What I want everybody to know is that the talent we are looking for, the leadership we’re looking for is right here in our communities, and it’s in these urban communities here in Akron. And I feel like that population gets overlooked sometimes,” Waters said. “The leadership is here. We gotta just invest.”

How to register for Akron Sneaker Academy

Registration for Akron’s Sneaker Camp is through the APS website. The day camp runs from July 7 to 25 and is open to rising sixth- through eighth-grade students. The cost is $50. Breakfast and lunch are included.

Registration for Barberton’s Sneaker Camp will open May 1 on the Barberton City Schools website. The day camp is June 9-13, and is open to rising sixth graders at Barberton Middle School. The cost is $25. Breakfast and lunch are included. 

Scholarships are available for both camps. Email [email protected] for more information.