Gaston Textile students participated in Seed2Shirt project.Students in the Gaston College Textile Technology program recently participated in a semester-long project aligned with the principles of fiber, textile technology processes and sustainability taught in the program’s Fundamentals of Textiles course. This project, the Seed2Shirt Textile Design Challenge, was sponsored by Seed2Shirt, a company that is a client of the Gaston College Textile Technology Center.

Seed2Shirt, based in Lompoc, California, with offices in Greensboro, N.C., is one of the first black woman-owned vertically integrated ethical T-shirt manufacturing and boutique cotton merchant companies in the U.S. Its products are ethically and sustainably manufactured from cotton material from African and African American cotton farmers. With a business-for-good model, a percentage of every sale goes to their Farmer Enrichment Program which supports the very farmers they source from.

The Textile Technology Associate in Applied Science degree program prepares students for work as Textile Technicians and as Textile Designers. Nine students participated in the project, which provided opportunities to become familiar with the sponsoring organization through co-sponsored course assignments, special laboratory activities, and in-person lectures led by Seed2Shirt staff.

The students worked throughout the semester to produce a final paper and presentation that proposed a solution to environmental and ethical issues plaguing cotton yarn production, farming and apparel. The Seed2Shirt team assembled leading innovation and sustainability leaders to judge the projects. Also serving on the judging panel were Sarah Hammond of Nike Innovation and Rebecca Burgess, executive director of Fibershed, a non-profit organization that develops regional fiber systems that build ecosystem and community health. Burgess was a virtual guest speaker at the presentation event, inspiring the staff and students about the power of local production and the possibilities of Seed2Shirt work in the region.

Lauren Eck presents her winning projectThe winning project was “Cotton Production and Manufacturing Inefficiencies” by student Lauren Eck. “Her project represented a deep level of understanding of project parameters, and her proposal addressed challenges and solutions at all levels of the value chain, i.e., farm, textile processing and final product,” said Tameka R. Peoples, founder/CEO and director of operations at Seed2Shirt. “Most importantly, Lauren’s project proposal highlighted critical educational points regarding the challenges of waste in fast fashion at the consumer and textile/fabric design levels.”

According to Peoples, Lauren’s proposal and final project included some critical farm solution recommendations that Seed2Shirt sees tremendous value in pursuing, including U.S. Department of Agriculture grants that support farm regenerative practices.

All the students who participated in the project received a one-of-a-kind Seed2Shirt T-shirt which embodies sustainable and ethical production standards. As the winner of the project challenge, Lauren Eck also received an exclusive pre-release Seed2Shirt Member Box.

“Gaston College, with its Textile Technology program, is one of the leading educational and innovative technology campuses/centers in the state of North Carolina,” said Peoples. “The program and campus are well known for educating and producing high caliber textile services and leading industry professionals, which is critical for growing the diverse U.S. textile industry and critical in supporting companies like Seed2Shirt in growing a more resilient, sustainable future for U.S. textiles.

“Lauren’s project, along with all the students who participated in our inaugural sponsored Sustainable Textile project, was the epitome of the professional excellence the Gaston College Textile Technology program produces,” Peoples continued. “Thank you to Lauren and everyone who participated, and to Gaston College for their collaborative partnership—you are the example of what it will take to grow U.S. textiles’ sustainable future.”

Seed2Shirt is the first company to sponsor a student project for the Textile Technology program, and they intend to continue their collaborative sponsored partnership work with the program and to support annual semester projects to provide more exposure and opportunity pathways for Gaston College students. Jasmine Cox-Wade, program chair and executive director of the Textile Technology Center, said, “In the future we would like to work with several organizations to support student learning. Partnering with the Gaston College Textile Technology program will provide companies with the opportunity to engage with students prior to graduation and provide exposure and awareness of what a modern-day textile industry job consists of.” Companies interested in sponsoring a semester project or serving as a guest speaker can contact Cox-Wade at cox.jasmine@gaston.edu.