(UCOF) Academy is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing fashion-focused:
Education
Mentorship and Counseling
Internship Opportunities
Entrepreneurial Development
Scholarships
to under-resourced youth in New York City. UCOF Academy’s daily operating costs are covered by sponsors, UCOF Academy board of directors and private donors. This FREE Fashion Educatio
n Program is the first of its kind in the United States. Founded in 2010, UCOF Academy is supported by an international team of philanthropically-minded, skilled professionals with backgrounds in fashion, beauty, the arts, and business. UCOF Academy is registered with the NYS Department of State, the IRS and New York Department of Education. Purpose:
Under our UCOF Academy Educates: STAND
STAND (Students Training Arts and Design), the fashion education program offered by UCOF Academy to under-resourced New York youth, is the only program of its kind in the United States. These youth are afforded opportunities to pursue their fashion careers free of charge to them. As fashion students leave school, they forfeit access to school facilities such as sewing machines, steamers and well-equipped workspace in which to create. Due to the repayment of student loans and the inability to find work after graduation, many cannot afford to purchase items on their own, and their dream of becoming a designer gives way to harsh reality. To date, 80% of new designers go out of business within two years of inception due to lack of resources, funding and support. UCOF Academy aims to alleviate the burden of these students, allowing them to apply what they have learned in school and build their own brand. STAND allows interns to learn in the areas of:
o Management
o Business Development
o Media & Communications
o Marketing
o Design
o Textiles
o Accessories
o Event Production
These fields of work are opened to our interns in the form of workshops and applied participation in fashion show productions and internships with leading designers. STAND assists interns to get scholarships to leading fashion schools, arrange installations and fashion shows for newly graduated designers. Yearly, the board of designers selects the “Achiever of the Year”, this person, a college senior, must have been part of the program for more than four seasons, demonstrates excellent design skills and a strong potential to be a successful fashion designer. The achiever is awarded the following prizes:
• An opportunity to showcase a fashion exhibition at a leading location in New York City
• All expenses paid trip to a participation Fashion Week country to receive training from top fashion designers, stylists, and world renowned fashion show producers
• Personal training and mentorship for a year
• All expenses paid to show his/her first collection during UCOF’s annual gala
These opportunities give talented, aspiring fashion professionals a platform to be recognized and integrated into the industry. STAND is available to driven high school sophomores through college juniors from low-income families in the New York City vicinities. UCOF Academy Cares: Initiative
UCOF Academy Cares: Initiative harnesses the fashion community’s compassion for those suffering with HIV/AIDS to bring relief to victims in developing countries that lack access to adequate medical care. It is estimated that 67% of the 33 million people suffering from HIV/AIDS live in Sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa alone, there are 300,000 children living with HIV/AIDS and another 1.4 million who have been orphaned by the disease. Since 2010, UCOF Academy Cares: Initiative has provided funds and supplies to 100 children living with HIV in South Africa. UCOF Academy partners with Mapetla Day Care in South Africa to provide financial assistance, food, and clothing to young children suffering from HIV/AIDS. UCOF Academy Cares: Initiative plans to expand this program to other parts of the world as our organization gains more traction. We are registered with the following companies as United Colors of Fashion Incorporated:
New York Department of Education
New York Department of State
New York Charity Bureau
Internal Revenue Services (IRS)
FASHION EDUCATION IN NYC
For more information: www.unitedcolorsoffashion.org/education
CHARITY CARE IN SOUTH AFRICA
For more information: www.unitedcolorsoffashion.org/health
