Student Trainees
The recommended cohort is approximately 7 to 10 students. Exact eligibility and grade levels are established with the school.
School Partnerships
School-Based Youth Braid Clinic Program
8 Weeks of Learning. One Saturday of Real-World Experience.
It's Bigger Than Braids partners with schools to turn beauty education into career-connected learning. A small student cohort builds braiding, entrepreneurship, and workforce-readiness skills during an 8-week program. Eligible students then have the opportunity to apply those skills during a supervised Saturday Youth Braid Clinic.
The program is developed and delivered in partnership with Youth Braid and Business Academy, which provides beauty education, curriculum expertise, experienced instructors, and instructional program support.
Request School Program Information →How the Program Works
A clear path from learning to practice.
- Step 1
Learn
Students participate in an 8-week Braids, Beauty & Business program, preferably after school. They build foundational braiding skills while learning sanitation, professionalism, customer service, communication, teamwork, time management, entrepreneurship, and career exploration.
- Step 2
Demonstrate Readiness
Students interested in participating as Youth Braiders complete a readiness review. Participation is based on demonstrated skills, sanitation practices, professionalism, attendance, ability to follow instructor direction, and clinic capacity.
- Step 3
Saturday Youth Braid Clinic
The program culminates in a scheduled Saturday clinic. Participating student clients reserve available appointments in advance. Eligible Youth Braiders provide approved services under experienced adult instructor supervision.
- Step 4
Reflect and Grow
Youth Braiders receive feedback, reflect on their experience, and connect the skills they practiced to future education, employment, entrepreneurship, and additional learning opportunities.
More Than Braiding
What students learn.
Technical beauty skills are the entry point. The School-Based Youth Braid Clinic Program also develops:
- Technical beauty and braiding skills
- Customer service and client communication
- Professionalism and workplace expectations
- Sanitation and safe beauty practices
- Teamwork and problem-solving
- Time management and responsibility
- Confidence and self-advocacy
- Entrepreneurship and basic business concepts
- Career exploration and future planning
A Real-World Practice Environment
The Saturday clinic.
The Saturday Youth Braid Clinic gives eligible students an opportunity to apply what they learned with scheduled student clients. Experienced instructors supervise the clinic, provide technical guidance, and oversee quality and safety.
The clinic is designed as a structured youth learning and workforce-development experience, not an unsupervised student salon.
A Flexible School Partnership
Designed for schools.
It's Bigger Than Braids works with each school to coordinate the student cohort, schedule, approved space, family communication, participation requirements, and Saturday clinic logistics. The preferred model uses after-school instruction so students can participate without routinely missing core academic classes.
Program dates, funding structure, approved services, and clinic logistics are developed with each participating school.
Youth Braiders
Students who complete the training and meet clinic-readiness requirements may be selected to provide approved services during the Saturday clinic. Course completion does not automatically guarantee placement.
Student Clients
Students may schedule available clinic appointments according to the school's participation, permission, and registration requirements.
Powered by Partnership
One shared purpose.
Youth Braid Clinics are an initiative of It's Bigger Than Braids, developed and delivered in partnership with Youth Braid and Business Academy.
It's Bigger Than Braids leads the nonprofit initiative, community partnerships, youth access, program development, and expansion of the Youth Braid Clinic model. Youth Braid and Business Academy serves as the education and implementation partner, providing experienced beauty educators, instructional support, curriculum expertise, and hands-on program delivery.
