Based out of Israel, Sveta Kletina, a footwear designer and shoemaker, started a blog in order to offer people worldwide the chance to learn to design and make shoes.
Three years ago, Kletina started her blog, posting quick tutorials and tidbits of information about her skills. Soon, she started filming in-depth videos and once she had enough, she put together a full-fledged course.
“Together with the blog I made YouTube videos and found out that people preferred to see the process rather than to learn from pictures, books and long explanations,” said Kletina. “Simple YouTube videos evolved into full-length video shoemaking courses that cover each step with every small detail, so that our students can learn to professionally make shoes.”
When Kletina was learning how to make shoes, she couldn’t find books or videos online to help her. She moved to Italy for a year in order to learn everything about shoemaking. Knowing that a majority of the world would never have such an opportunity, she wanted to make training of her trade more accessible.
“We are in a more technological generation right now. Everything is on the computer. Girls can go onto YouTube and learn how to make their own T-shirts or do their makeup,” Weber State University senior and geography major Mercedes Anto said. “Everything is on YouTube. That is what our society is turning into.”
Kletina’s course is made up of more than 160 videos to train anyone anywhere in the world. In all, there are over 200 hours of instruction.
“Our website is the ultimate resource for people to learn this craft, no matter where they are from and what their financial status is, everyone can afford it, and that is our main goal,” said Kletina. “Everything is online, (making) education reachable in any science, craft and profession, so why should it be different with shoemaking?”
Kletina saw that her videos were successful and that her students were really learning. It excited her to see that her videos helped make successful careers for people worldwide.
“Not only can you see what’s happening, but you can also get the audio at the same time,” electronic media major Logan Malan said. “Video covers all the ways that you can learn. I think it’s genius. It shows that we have a lot of information at our fingertips and we know how to get that information. We have to learn how to retain this information that we are getting so quickly, or else it will be detrimental instead of beneficial.”
The internet, with almost 637 million websites, provides students with access to almost anything they have the desire to learn.
“Online videos give great opportunity to repeat the process over and over again with the teacher. Practice is the key to progress,” said Kletina. “You need to do, to get better.”
The ability to revisit what a student has just learned increases chances that they will retain that knowledge and find success.
“One of my students from Nigeria recently opened a shoe shop in his small town and sent me a letter telling me that now he can make a living by doing something he loves,” said Kletina. “The online courses are successful and that is why our community grows so fast. We want to make this available to anyone in the world, because we care about our members and their goals.”
