To celebrate its second year partnering with Step Up Women's Network, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening community resources for girls and women,
Crystal Light has created two educational programs designed to promote self-esteem, well-being and confidence to at-risk teenage girls. In New York City, Crystal Light conceived an educational mentoring program for Step Up teen girls and Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) college students. For Step Up students in Los Angeles, Crystal Light sponsored a statewide College Tour to expose the young women to higher educational opportunities. Beginning in March 2008, Step Up female high school students from an underprivileged neighborhood were invited to be part of a unique educational design program at FIT. The students teamed up with FIT college students and were challenged to create a design concept for Crystal Light, giving both sets of students the opportunity to step into the role of professional designer. The teams were required to choose from a group of design disciplines, including accessories, clothing or brand packaging design. On May 13, teams presented their final creations to the Crystal Light brand team, which then considered the designs for production branding purposes. "We wanted to give the Step Up students a chance to experience working in an industry in which many of them have expressed interest," says Melissa Merchant, brand manager, Crystal Light - Canister and RTD Bottles. "We are also excited to offer this program to the FIT students as a means to fine-tune their skills as they stand on the threshold of their careers."
