The Beginning of a Barber Academy ​for Mt. Vernon, NY

​​In 2014, Charnay Phaire, the executive director of Westchester Barber Academy, implemented an after-school program for 7th- and 8th-grade students at the local Amani Public Charter School. The program was open to any student wanting to learn, no matter their academic performance. The program was a success.

Not only were students learning a trade skill, they were also becoming community-minded entrepreneurs with an extensive support system of peers and barber professionals. As the after-school barbering program expanded, we realized we had a chance to do something big, which led to the creation of Westchester Barber Academy.

Westchester Barber Academy operates in several capacities...
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• A service offering in-house and off-site barber services
• An after-school program that provides students with an Introduction to Barbering course
• A workshop for barbers preparing to get their New York State Master Barbering License
• A consultation for entrepreneurs looking to open barbershops in Mt. Vernon and nearby local areas
• A licensed barber school for students aged 17 and older looking for an alternative career path or career change (launch July 2019)
• A non-for-profit foundation arm that leads various community outreach initiatives (i.e. recently won a grant to train barbershops in the local area on HIV Prevention)

We go beyond barbering...

Learning a trade skill is a great way to engage your mind and prepare for a career but we want to go beyond that. We don't just focus on teaching the technical skills involved in barbering but the soft skills that can take students from barbershop worker to barbershop owner, including:

• Personal branding
• Business operations
• Financial budgeting and reporting
• Networking
• Community activism

Learn how we can help you ​today

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