{"id":490570,"date":"2026-10-09T17:22:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T17:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/490570\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T17:22:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T17:22:08","slug":"long-beach-high-school-launches-hands-on-student-barbering-program-herald-community-newspapers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/490570\/","title":{"rendered":"Long Beach High School launches hands-on student barbering program | Herald Community Newspapers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long Beach High School<\/a> has launched a new barbering program this year, giving students hands-on experience in hair-cutting techniques and a chance to explore career pathways in the industry.<\/p>\n

To celebrate the program\u2019s launch, Principal Andy Smith<\/a> and Rich Rogers, the district\u2019s director of social studies, business and work-based learning, took seats in the barber chairs on Sept. 30 for inaugural haircuts from student barbers, most of whom are beginners.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe experience allowed students to put their developing skills into practice while showcasing the authentic, career-connected learning at the heart of the program,\u201d a district news release stated. \u201cThe barbering program reflects Long Beach High School\u2019s commitment to expanding career-connected opportunities and helping students build confidence, explore their interests and develop skills that extend beyond the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program, which was approved as part of the district\u2019s 2026-27 spending plan in May, is part of a new BOCES co-enrollment program for high school students now offered in Long Beach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the last two and a half hours of the day, 10 students meet in Room 208 \u2014 a newly converted barbering shop \u2014 under the tutelage of BOCES instructor Dan Wallace, the former proprietor of the nearly century-old New Park Haircutters<\/a>, in Rockville Centre.<\/p>\n

An instructor for the past 10 years, Wallace said he has cut hair since he was in elementary school, and earned his certification by completing a course at the Long Island Barber Institute, in Hempstead. A resident of Long Beach since 2020, Wallace said it\u2019s great for students to learn skills that move beyond a textbook.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re seeing more and more career and technical education going into these schools,\u201d he said. \u201cAcademics might not be for everyone. And even if it is for you, you could still have some sort of skill in your pocket.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students begin by learning basic cutting techniques, including 0-, 45- and 90-degree cutting angles, sectioning, shearing and clipping techniques, practicing on mannequins. As the year progresses, they will learn barbering services such as fades, tapers, shaves, facials, beard trims and eyebrow work. Those who complete 500 hours of class time and 54 hours of work-based learning \u2014 linking academic and learning with real-world workplace tasks \u2014 become eligible to sit for the New York state barber examination.<\/p>\n

One student, senior Tyrese Hoyas, is just shy of completing the class-time requirement. Hoyas, 17, spent last year immersed in the program at Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center, in Westbury, and, Wallace said, will be eligible to take the state exam as early as November.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Growing up, Hoyas said, he began cutting his own hair because it was curly and coarse, and barbers had trouble styling it \u2014 and his family\u2019s financial challenges made it difficult to find the right service.<\/p>\n

When he learned Long Beach was offering the course, Hoyas said, he jumped at the chance to secure a spot. Last year, he said, he had just three class periods, starting before 8 a.m., for his desired classes at the high school before leaving for BOCES for the day at around 10 a.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was actually very excited because I didn\u2019t have to take the long bus ride there,\u201d he said, adding that the new class at the high school \u201cgave me a few extra periods throughout the day to take certain classes that I couldn\u2019t have taken last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond haircuts, the program covers practical skills such as career and financial management, resume writing and business planning \u2014 which will be the final class project. Wallace said that students would also have job shadowing and internship opportunities.<\/p>\n

The barbershop in Room 208, he said, will eventually offer free haircuts and other services to students and faculty. The program is also planning field trips, guest speakers, service-learning projects and participation in events such as the annual St. Baldrick\u2019s head-shaving charity event, in which students raise money for childhood cancer research.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a lot of students from the past who\u2019ve been very successful in the industry, some even cutting famous athletes and rappers,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cSo I bring them in to speak to the students, do demos. A lot of job opportunities do arise from here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hoyas said he hoped to make barbering a career. He has already begun cutting his friends\u2019 hair, both in and outside the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is something I really want to do after high school,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Long Beach High School has launched a new barbering program this year, giving students hands-on experience in hair-cutting…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":490571,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[191343,191341,131,133,191340,132,75534,191342],"class_list":["post-490570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-career-and-technical-education","tag-dan-wallace","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-high-school-barbering-program","tag-long-beach-news","tag-long-beach-schools","tag-tyrese-hoyas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/490570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=490570"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/490570\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/490571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=490570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=490570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=490570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}