DECATUR, Ill. — Barbering schools were established in the 1890's, but the art of Barbering can be traced back to ancient Egypt. The word barber comes from the Latin word "barba," which means beard. University of Illinois Extension serving DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt counties and Lockhart's Barber College are partnering to offer middle school and high school youth an innovative, monthly career exploration program in Barbering.

4-H Barbering 101 is a free monthly program hosted by Brandon Kraus, owner of Lockhart's Barber College. The first session will be at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 30, at Lockhart's Barber College, 1624 S. Taylorville Rd, in Decatur.

"It's been exciting to collaborate with Brandon Kraus and Lockhart's Barber College to create this monthly barbering tutorial series for middle and high school students," says 4-H Program Coordinator Charles Young. "Youth will learn barbering skills, techniques, how profitable being a licensed barber can be, and more."

4-H Barbering 101 is free, but pre-registration is required. Visit go.illinois.edu/Barbering101 to register or call 217.877. 6042.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please call (217) 877-6042. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access need.

SOURCE: Charles Young, 4-H Program Coordinator, University of Illinois Extension

WRITER: Maria Lightner, Marketing and Communications, University of Illinois Extension

ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.

ABOUT 4-H: Illinois 4-H empowers and prepares Illinois youth for success. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H programs in every county in Illinois, affecting the lives of 200,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs, groups, and short-term programming.