The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is doubling down on its sneaker push this year as it unveils a new scholarship.

The new funding, called the Wish Atlanta Sneaker Design Scholarship, will be awarded to three students pursuing a minor in the newly launched sneaker design program at the college. The first recipients will be for the 2022-2023 academic year.

According to SCAD, the new grant is funded by the Wish Foundation and entrepreneur and philanthropist Lauren Amos, board chair of the foundation and founder of Atlanta specialty retailer Wish.

This new scholarship follows the April launch of the school’s first sneaker design minor. Based on student interest and alumni success in the industry, SCAD said the minor is designed to further enhance professional credentials and propel graduates to the top of the growing, lucrative field.

Offered within the School of Fashion, the new sneaker design minor is available to students at both SCAD Savannah and Atlanta locations and includes new courses “specifically created to amplify new and sustainable design and manufacturing practices,” the school said.

The minor includes five courses designed to develop students’ knowledge and design skills in sketching, rendering, concept development, digital prototyping and branding for luxury and high-performance sneakers. These courses provide SCAD students with access to leading technology resources and ensure students complete the minor with a professional-quality portfolio that includes both physical and digital prototypes of original sneaker designs.

The launch of the new minor coincided with the debut of a sneaker-inspired exhibition at the school’s SCAD Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. Called “Face Value,” the exhibition, on view through Sept. 11, features more than 30 works from visual artist Gary Lockwood, also known as “Freehand Profit,” who deconstructs sought-after sneakers and reinterprets them into ornate face masks.

As for Amos, she continues to expand her influence in Atlanta’s fashion scene with the opening of a new retail concept. Located at 525 Bishop Street NW, the new concept, called “ANT/DOTE,” opened in May with a luxury designer point of view. Brands like Comme des Garcons, Craig Green, Jil Sander, Junya Watanabe, Mugler, Paco Rabanne, Rick Owens and Y/Project fill the space ranging from ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, jewelry, skincare and fragrance.