CICS Longwood High School celebrated a landmark moment in toward our Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway in personal care with the official reveal of the Prideful Barber & Beauty Room. This student-designed space is a clinical training ground where students turn their passions into professional expertise.
The Prideful Barber & Beauty Room is a part of our emerging Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways at CICS Longwood High School, where we are developing career pathways in aviation, health sciences, and personal care. By combining college-ready coursework with professional certification opportunities, we ensure every student leaves with a diploma in hand alongside industry experience and the confidence to choose the future that fits them best.
The personal care pathway was born from student voices requesting real-life skills and trades supplemental to traditional college aspirations. This program will provide students with a direct bridge to professional licensure, where students can earn the 1,500 hours required to sit for the state licensing exam, allowing them to graduate high school as professional cosmetologists or barbers. Future plans include transforming the space into a community clinic where students can gain practical hours by serving the local neighborhood at a discounted rate.
Under the guidance of teacher and veteran cosmetologist Carleen Smith, students have been diving deep into both the art, science, and business of the industry, including:
Practical Skills: Barbering students are mastering shaving, fading, and tapers, while cosmetology students focus on hair cutting, styling, chemical treatments, makeup, and nails.
Theory and Science: Learning infection control, salon management, and anatomy and physiology (such as facial structure and bone anatomy) to ensure safe and professional services.
Professionalism: Developing a personal brand, marketing strategies, and effective communication skills.
The reveal event was a celebration of collective ownership and student leadership. Attendees, including family, staff, elected officials—like Alderman Mosley and CPS Board of Education Representative Therese Boyle—and community partners, joined an open house-style tour, where students walked attendees through various stations, including sample business models, hair cutting and styling demonstrations, and infection control. The event officially unveiled the name—Prideful Barber & Beauty Room—which was chosen by the students themselves to reflect the dignity and excellence of their craft.
This space is a testament to the belief that every student deserves to choose their own future—be it a four-year degree, entrepreneurship, or both. By providing these pathways, we are addressing student needs and providing the tools for long-term community success.
How You Can Support
The Prideful Barber & Beauty Room is a space built for and by our students, and we invite our entire community to be a part of its growth. To ensure our stylists and barbers have the professional-grade tools they need to succeed, we have curated a variety of ways you can help!
Donate Supplies: Click here to view our Amazon Wishlist and have items like capes, styling kits, and sanitization equipment shipped directly to the school.
Monetary Donations: To make a tax-deductible donation toward larger equipment, materials, and professional kits for our students, please visit our Donation Page.
Industry Partnerships: If you are a local professional or salon owner interested in mentoring our students or providing guest demonstrations, please reach out to Dr. Jeralyn Harris.
By investing in this space, you are investing in the tangible futures of our CICS Longwood High School learners. We can’t wait to see the incredible work that comes out of the Prideful Barber & Beauty Room!
