The buzzing of clippers, slapping of smocks and brotherly jokes fill the classroom. In the center of the room are four stations, back to back, creating an island of mirrors and workspaces. More workstations, trash bins and sinks line the perimeter of the room. A wall of large rectangular windows let in an abundance of natural light.
To work in this unorthodox college classroom, students pay a $7,500 tuition fee which includes a small beginning barber kit. The payoff is a graduation certificate from Dunbar Barber Academy’s 10-month barbering program. The academy, housed at Dunbar School, 325 W. Second St., not only teaches people how to become barbers, but how to become productive citizens, says academy owner Martio Harris.
Harris, a barber since 1993, opened the shop in August 2008 to teach men and women how to become barbers and to teach students how to make and save money.
“Martio encourages you to research before you come to the school,” said Adam Maranda, a 29-year-old newbie to the Dunbar Barber Academy. “He doesn’t want your money.”
Maranda, who began cutting his friends’, cousins’ and sons’ hair long before coming to the barber academy, said he enrolled because of the current economic downfall.
“I wanted to cut hair, but at the time I couldn’t take a pay cut and during this economic time, I did,” he said about ending his seven-year stint as an electrician. Maranda was no longer getting the hours he needed to support his family, so he enrolled in the academy.
“Barbering is something I enjoy and you work and get paid for it,” he said.
With a graduation rate of 98 percent, the Barber Academy is like a regular college class. Students are taught a vocational trade, study from the textbook, “Milady’s Standard Textbook of Professional Barber-Styling,” take tests, learn the vocabulary of the profession and get feedback from an advisor.
Throughout the day, the students cut each other’s hair or, preferably, customers’ hair, at a rate of $5 a cut, or $3 for senior citizens. During lunch, the class moves into the break room, which is filled wall to wall with tables, chairs and a white board. After lunch the class reads a chapter or two from the textbook, makes flash cards and reviews vocabulary for the rest of the day, even after moving back into the classroom. Needless to say, many of the men in the program have short hair and great skin, because during downtime they do a lot of practicing on each other.
“We read as a group which I think helps more and it’s pretty cool,” Maranda said. “I wasn’t expecting it to be like this. I wake up in the morning and want to come here. They say it’s only because I am new here. Some of the guys who graduate still come in and take the tests and read with us.”
Graduates and professional barbers are encouraged to visit the academy during class hours to review with the students, give barbering tips or just hang out, giving the classroom the atmosphere of a “real” barbershop. Classes run from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Carlos Felix, a 21-year-old Pima Community College graduate from the criminal justice program, has been at Dunbar Barber Academy since March and is looking forward to graduating in the next couple of months.
“I have been cutting hair since I was in middle school and I wanted to get a license to be a professional barber,” he said.
Felix said that after graduation, he already has a position waiting for him at a barbershop.
Felix says he enjoys the program and he enjoys Harris as a teacher. “He teaches more than barbering, like life and business lessons,” Felix said.
Harris is also a local assistant pastor. “My whole thing is empowering youth today for leadership tomorrow.”
Harris said he tries to use the idea of synergy to motivate the students, which means to produce a greater sum working together versus the sum one can produce individually. He says he encourages some of the graduates to start businesses together.
“I use principles of the Bible, I don’t use religion. Just the principles that all of our goals are in common if we are going to be successful,” Harris said. “We aren’t concerned with gender, race, color, creed, nationality. We are here for one common purpose which is to become a better citizen and more equitable for the community.”
Harris owns Tio’s Master Cutz, 60 W. Fort Lowell Road, and Kingdom Kutz, 3232 N. Stone Ave. He employs some of the students at his shops, but students don’t have a hard time finding jobs after graduation; if they want to work, there are enough positions to go around.
There are 29 people enrolled in the program, and anyone interested should jump in line because there is a two year waiting list. In order to be eligible for the program, applicants need to have at least a 10th-grade education, proof of American citizenship, $7,500 and 1,500 hours to dedicate to the program.
