A life skills workshop

Cut and Donate 13" of James' Hair

Treating kids like they're competent, having high standards and high support, believing that kids are limitless, the list is limitless.

The more I learned about Alpha School, the more I learned about myself. It felt like learning about Alpha School was helping me to better explain beliefs and strategies I've taken to be successful guiding kids around the world.

When I learned about Alpha School's life skills workshops an idea lit up my mind: “What if I let the kids cut off my hair!?” This would both demonstrate my commitment, and give the kids a huge boost of confidence because of the trust I'm placing in them.

So consider this my olive branch, my vote of confidence, my commitment to this belief.

2 years of hair, turning into many years of trust and confidence via a unique Alpha life skills workshop.

Having an adult trust them to cut off 2 years of hair is hugely valuable for their confidence, but it also hits the following values of yours:

• Relationship Building & empathy: the hair goes to a kid who lost theirs; they're not doing a craft, they're changing a stranger's life. And they see it modeled right there in the chair: a barber's whole business runs on strangers trusting them enough to put sharp tools to their head and face. Relationships are just trust, made physical.
• Generosity, “spend and donate”: the same muscle as Alpha Savers and the Water for Life Project, except this time they give something that came off a person who trusted them.
• Socialization and Communication: this is a project that requires quality communication and teamwork to coordinate and understand the wants and needs of me and of their classmates as they work together to cut my hair.

Logistics

• Donation org: Wigs for Kids (12" minimum). My 13" clears it.
• Safety: a licensed stylist performs and oversees the actual cut; kids do the ceremonial cuts, measuring, and packaging.
• Materials: shears, hair ties, measuring tape, sealable bag + padded mailer, donation form.

A potential outline for the workshop

1. Make a list together of all the possible effects of someone not having hair.

   Then talk about what the evidence shows — and hear a story or two from real survivors.

2. Make a list together of all the reasons why someone may lose their hair.

   Then talk through the actual possible reasons.

3. Make a list together of all the steps, in order, that it would take to donate hair.

   Then walk through the actual required steps with a non-profit representative or licensed stylist.

4. Divide up responsibilities as a group.

5. Cut James' hair, with big smiles.

6. Donate the hair.