PSV Crown Care Kits
PSV Crown Care Kits are designed to empower students and celebrate the diversity of their hair care needs. These kits are a proactive resource to assist elementary school students with wavy, curly, coarse, thick hair, or hair that requires skill to style—a need that may arise as part of their daily school activities. This is especially needed for younger students who are still learning how to best care for and style their own hair.
Hair care can be a challenge during a busy school day. From rubber bands snapping during PE to picture day touch-ups, these situations can feel like “emergencies” for young children, particularly in predominantly white school settings where tailored tools and knowledge are less commonly accessible. PSV Crown Care Kits are designed to fill a void -- providing tools and products in a centrally located place on campus and in the care of an administrator or student leader who knows how to use items Black and Brown families typically use when styling hair. PSV Crown Care Kits address a gap by providing the essentials needed to ensure our students feel seen, supported, and celebrated. By making these kits available in a safe place in school, we empower young students to navigate their personal hair care challenges and encourage schools to continue to cultivate environments that validate and celebrate all aspects of healthy identity development.
What’s in a Crown Care Kit?
Up to 5 individual kits include an assortment of styling brushes, combs, bobby pins, braid rubber bands, hair ties, a mirror, and affirmations (which cost $30-$45 each). Additionally, each individual kit is backed up with a steward kit for the administrator/student which includes products for textured hair, valued between $80–$100. Kits can be replenished annually or as kits/products run out.
Why Is This Important?
Hair is a powerful symbol of identity, cultural pride, and heritage. Hairstyles like twists and braids reflect individuality and community, making hair care an integral part of self-expression. By offering these kits, we empower young students to navigate their personal hair care challenges and encourage schools to cultivate environments that validate and celebrate all aspects of their identities.
How Does This Work In a School Setting?
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In order to participate and receive a PSV Crown Care Kit, you must be a PSV-sponsoring elementary school and you must first identify at least one easily-located and available administrator, faculty, staff, or student leader who is comfortable housing the Crown Care Kits and who knows how to do young children's hair.
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Once a location and kit steward are identified, schools will notify parents, students, and staff about this resource through an official PSV-provided letter. The kits are intended for quick touch-ups, not full restyles, and should be treated as an emergent support resource, akin to visiting the nurse's office. In instances where greater assistance is needed, schools are encouraged to involve parents or caregivers.
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Once you identify where the kit will be located and who will be the keeper of the kit, the school should notify elementary school faculty, staff, parents and students about the availability of the Crown Care Kits, explaining where it's located and the process for accessing it with an emphasis on this being a resource in response to emergent needs (much like you would provide with instructions to go to the nurse). The goal of the kit is for assistance in fixing, tidying up issues, not to redo an entire style such as twists or braids.
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When an elementary school student expresses an interest in getting a PSV Crown Care Kit, the administrator, faculty, staff, or student volunteer should use their best judgement in determining whether or not a call needs to be made home to student's parent/caregiver prior to providing assistance. If a greater need presents itself beyond fixing a quick issue, we suggest informing parents first when possible.
How Can Schools Order Kits?
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Identify a location for the kits and a skilled team member to manage them. Do not provide kits without this in place as it could create more of an issue than intended.
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Consider making a donation to Private School Village (PSV) to cover the kit costs (starter packages range from $230–$300).
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Contact PSV to arrange delivery of your school’s kit.
Each student in need of assistance dealing with a hair "emergency" receives an individual PSV Crown Care Kit which for sanitary purposes is intended for one student and not designed to be shared.
Each PSV Crown Care Kit includes different styling brushes and combs, big and small bobby pins, braid rubber bands, a mirror, various hair ties, and positive stickers/messages. Each kit is roughly a $30 - $45 value.
Each school administrator, faculty, staff or student leader receives a range of styling products used on textured hair. These are intended to be used with each PSV Crown Care Kit if/when needed and remain in the care of the assisting school administrator, faculty, staff or student leader. Products can be replenished at any time but minimally need to be replaced each school year. Each styling product kit is roughly an $80 - $100 value.
Note to parents/schools: Expand this idea by getting your student affinity groups involved --- having older students personally write short affirmations to younger students and including the note in the care kit is a wonderful way to broaden support.
Note to haircare professionals/corporations: If you would like to sponsor this program or donate to help cover the cost of products, or to donate products, please email us at psvadmin@privateschoolvillage.org.
Note of acknowledgement: This idea was conceptualized and developed with the help of Campbell Hall parents after dealing with an imminent need in elementary school. This is a wonderful example of how school communities can impact more than just the students and families in their respective schools. Together, we are addressing an unmet need and offering it across schools so that each child feels seen, valued, supported, and connected.
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