Barbers Volunteer Time To Help Students Succeed & Build Community

DENVER (CBS4) - It's the middle of the school day. and Tony Herrera is getting a free haircut.

"It means a lot, honestly," he said.

No, the teen isn't cutting class. In fact, he's still at school.

"You never really hear about a school having a barber shop," Tony added.

At the Contemporary Learning Academy (CLA), "Jon Jon the Barber" is volunteering his time and skills to help students like Tony.

"A lot of them come from backgrounds where some of them feel like they don't have options," he said while cutting Tony's hair. "Me being someone from the urban community, I'm kind of an example of a way to make it out."

The alternative high school in Denver is designed for students who struggle with traditional classrooms and often find themselves getting into trouble.

"I came to this school because I was at a bigger school, and I wasn't doing too well," Tony told CBS4. "I wasn't going to class. I didn't want to get expelled or anything, so I decided it was best for me to go to a smaller community school."

James Davis is the Dean of Students at CLA. He explained the high school has 125 students with classrooms that typically have three to 10 students.

"Our students get a lot of one-on-one time with teachers," he said.

Davis also explained that many of the students who attend CLA have a hard time trusting adults because of their previous school experiences.

"We have a lot of students who've been to multiple schools," he said. "In this smaller field, we had the opportunity to ensure that we build better relationships with the students."

That's how the in-school barber shop began. It's a place for teachers and students to come together to play games, talk about life and, of course, get a fresh look.

"It really shows they're trying to help us out," student Eric Nunez said. "It's good to bond with the teachers and share a little moment."

Those little moments are having a big impact.

"We noticed that 82 percent of students that have been coming to the barber shop, their grades have increased trimester to trimester," Davis said. "We're constantly working on ways to engage them, not only to bring up their grades, but attendance as well."

For many of the students who used to cut class, school is a place they want to be.

"I feel like this school cares about me more than what the bigger high school did," Tony said.

CLA is always looking for volunteer barbers. If you'd like to help, visit: http://cla.dpsk12.org/.