LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Jefferson County Public Schools high school has a new way of reaching some of its students.

W.E.B. DuBois Academy has a barber's chair inside the school on East Indian Trail in the Newburg neighborhood. The barber's chair starts with haircuts, but students are also encouraged to share some of their thoughts and concerns out loud.

J. Alexander is the master barber inside the classroom.

"My goal is eight heads a day, so every 30 minutes," Alexander said. "They're on a 30-minute appointment schedule."

The students get more than just haircuts.

"It's not all about the haircuts," said Kamryn Dozier, a sophomore.

It's part of a program called Thoughts Out Loud.

"Thoughts Out Loud is just that, where you give opportunity for youth and yourself, anybody, to think out loud and begin to create some sort of solutions to whatever is troubling you on the inside," Alexander said.

Alexander created the program several months ago and now spends his day off in the classroom.

"So basically, the goal is to talk to children and students about violence prevention," Alexander said.

In the beginning, not everyone was talkative.

"Because I didn't really know him at first, but as it went by, I got to know him better and opened up more to him," Dozier said. "Now I really like to have a conversation with him."

Circuit Court Judge Jessica Green admittedly likes the convenience of the free haircuts, but also believes her son is getting much more out of the program.

"And so I know that there are things that Zion has talked to J about and felt more comfortable discussing with him than he would with me or that he would feel with a typical mental health professional," Green said.

Alexander believes the program has and will prevent conflicts from turning to violence.

"If I need to, I can pull the other individual into the room and sit them both down and hash out that conflict," Alexander said.

Alexander hopes to eventually spread the program to other schools throughout the city.

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