On January 24, a new kind of energy filled the Levi Strauss & Co. Eureka Innovation Lab. More than 50 high school students spent the morning learning from LS&Co. experts and Discovery Education practitioners, and building skills to repair, refresh and reimagine their clothes at our first-ever Levi’s® Wear Longer Project student workshop. Launched earlier this year, the Levi’s® Wear longer Project is a new community initiative to address the widening gap in basic clothing‑repair skills among young people.
An Interactive Classroom
Saturday’s workshop was the first in a series of local community activations that offer hands-on experiences and instruction on how to repair, upcycle and customize clothes. Interest for the workshop was high — more than 250 students applied and 55 were selected, arriving at Eureka with denim in hand and ready to learn.
Inside Eureka, the space felt equal parts workshop, studio and classroom. Students rotated through skill‑based stations — including button sewing, hemming, patching, mending tears and creative customization — each led by Levi’s® designers and leaders. Each station created space for students to try new techniques, troubleshoot in real time and build confidence with every stitch.
At the end of the three-hour session, students walked away with a better sense of how to repair garments and with more confidence, creativity and agency to carry into the rest of their lives — precisely what the Levi’s® Wear Longer Project was designed to do.
A Ripple Effect
The Wear Longer Project isn’t just about teaching repair skills — it’s also working to spark a ripple effect in classrooms and communities. That’s why students explored “impact project” ideas throughout the Eureka workshop that they could take back to their schools, like setting up repair stations, hosting peer‑to‑peer skill sessions, supporting theater costume departments and leading sustainability clubs. Students also learned quick instructional modules designed to help them teach the basics to others. This is how we’ll achieve scalable, community-driven impact, establishing a culture where caring for what we own becomes both a creative act and a sustainable one.
The Wear Longer Project is just getting started. This week, more young people will have the opportunity to try their hand at repair in workshops we’re hosting as part of our Home Turf activations across the Bay Area. We’re also partnering with Discovery Education’s network of educators to bring the curriculum into classrooms and educational programs across the United States. Employee‑led community workshops will continue to expand the program’s reach, ensuring that repair education becomes a durable and shareable skill across classrooms, stores and neighborhoods.
“The energy students brought to our first workshop was incredible,” said Alexis Bechtol, director of Community Affairs at LS&Co. “This is just the beginning for Wear Longer, and we’re excited to see young people help drive its impact forward in their schools and communities.”
To learn more about the project, visit the Levi’s® Wear Longer Project page on our website.
