On-campus collaborations with CTE programs open opportunities at Valhalla Center

Students get haircuts by Barbering students, will intern in Cosmetology   

Students in Southern Westchester BOCES’ Special Services programs who already benefit from community partnerships across the county are now finding such opportunities closer to their classrooms thanks to collaborations with other BOCES programs.

New opportunities are popping on the Career Services campus in Valhalla, for example, that provide enriching, real-world instructional experiences.

Valhalla Center Principal Diana Dinzey said her students will begin vocational and internship-style experiences in the Center for Career Services’ Cosmetology programs in March. They’ll support CTE students by performing a variety of tasks: filling spray bottles, folding towels, restocking supplies and keeping the work areas organized and tidy.

In another unique CTE collaboration, nearly a dozen students receive haircuts from students in Career Services’ new Barbering program. Barbering teacher David Viziano instructs his students in the specialized skills of serving clients with special needs.

“Many of our students do not like to get their hair cut due a number of sensory issues,” Ms. Dinzey said. “Mr. Viziano does this professionally for students like ours, and our families have been so appreciative. This has been such a blessing for them.”

All of her students can participate, with parent approval. An added benefit, Ms. Dinzey said, is that teaching staff who accompany students use that time to reinforce a variety of life skills taught in the classroom. These range from navigating the campus from their building to the Barbering classroom to sitting down, waiting their turn, and practicing grooming and hygiene skills.

“They can build in the instructional piece that they have in their classes into the real-life experience of getting a haircut,” she said.