Free haircuts at the new barbershop at East High School

Rochester, New York — Monday morning at East High School, a new, known officially as “The East Cutting Edge” barbershop opens.

The barbershop will give free haircuts to students at both East’s upper and lower schools. The partnership is between the school and the United Professional Barbers and Cosmetologists Association and is the first of its kind in the Rochester City School District.

According to UPBCA, board members will staff the shop with barbers from around the Rochester area.

The shop is more than just about a snip and a fresh cut, as it will give students the chance to learn more about the industry and provide an opportunity for mentorship, the school said.

“We know that in our community right now there are young men and women who are looking for mentors, and barbershops are often the epicenter of where we find our information and we get our help and we just are able to decompress sometimes as a community,” Superintendent Dr. Shaun Nelms said. “So to be able to bring that unique service into a school setting is critically important.”

Every Monday or Tuesday the shop will be open for two hours, and students can sign up ahead of time.