Center for Career Services

Collaborative program helps students and women in need

A manicure, a new haircut and just a few minutes to take care of oneself can have numerous positive benefits on one’s outlook.

A special collaboration that developed two years ago has proven to benefit participants in many ways.

Once a month students in the Cosmetology program take a break from their regular school work and offer manicures and haircuts and colors to residents at the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester.

“It’s been special,” Ann Timmons, the YWCA’s assistant director of residents, said of the collaboration.

Southern Westchester BOCES provides transportation for the women to the center in Valhalla.

“It’s wonderful,” Ms. Timmons said. “It helps them financially. They get free hair styling, facials and manicures. In terms of their self-esteem, many are not able to do that for themselves at all. We call it ‘Primp and Polish.’”

“It’s a little bit of primping for them,” she said.

There are 193 women in the residency program at the YWCA.

“A lot of them are women who are really struggling to make ends meet,” Ms. Timmons said. “This makes a big difference for them, to have someone pay attention to them. They come back feeling spiffed up.”

The residents are not the only ones who benefit. Students in the Cosmetology program have the opportunity to practice their skills on live clients, rather than the mannequins they train on in the classroom.

“It’s been going really well,” Cosmetology teacher Theresa Galitello said. “The students enjoy it. It’s like having customers.”

“It gives them real world experience,” she continued.

The idea for the program developed two years ago when

Work Based Learning Coordinator Evangelo Michas learned another BOCES had a similar program.

He reached out to the local YWCA in White Plains and coordinated the program with the director there. He was also able to arrange for BOCES to provide transportation for the women.

“It’s been a success,” Michas said.