The Job Training Coordination (JTC) class at Alliance High School (AHS) hosted their fourth successful Project Prom event. This year, a record number of dresses were passed out during the event with over 40 students finding their perfect prom dress along with shoes, jewelry and accessories.
\r\nThe event began in 2020 when Andrea Ciavarelli, the JTC teacher, collaborated with the AHS Family Support Specialists (FSS) at the time. They were looking for new ways to get dresses for students who needed them. Project Prom was created to fill the need.
\r\n“When the student finds ‘The Dress,’ their face lights up and you can see how happy they are and how good they feel in that moment,” Ciavarelli said. “Every student deserves to look and feel their best on prom night and shouldn’t have to stress over not being able to afford a fancy dress or outfit.”
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Prom is a big deal for many high school students. The fancy dresses, nice venue and fun time dancing the night away is often a fond memory to look back on. However, the cost of a dress can deter students from taking part in the dance with their peers. Project Prom offers students the opportunity to find a beautiful dress, shoes and accessories at no cost. The dresses are available to any AHS student looking for a dress; they do not have to show a financial need in order to pick one out.
\r\nAll items are generously donated by staff, graduates and community members who decided to give their dresses a second life. Each dress is altered to fit the new owner by Gloria Kovacik and Marikay Kuntzman. The fittings are done the day of Project Prom and each dress is returned before prom.
\r\nDresses and dress clothes will continue to be passed out until right before prom. AHS students can reach out to Ciavarelli to set up a time to pick out an outfit and accessories.
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When Project Prom first started, there were 100 dresses available for students to pick from and about 30 of them were selected by students. Due to the generous donations, there are now over 300 dresses to choose from along with dress pants, shirts, ties and suit jackets available for the boys.
\r\nProject Prom would not be possible without the hard work of the juniors and seniors in the JTC class.
\r\n“JTC does all of the behind the scenes work. We get out all of the racks and shelving, unpack all of the dresses and sort and label them with sizes,” Ciavarelli said. “ They also help us determine whether dresses are in style or not.”
\r\nThe class has found that if a dress was purchased within the last 10 years, the students will find it appealing. Dresses older than 10 years are often not the same style the students currently prefer.
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As the event has evolved, local businesses have donated services for free or at a discounted rate. Taylor Battershell at Hive Beauty donates five free manicures each year. Robert Fountain, the AHS junior cosmetology teacher, is offering free manicures as well.
\r\nWithin AHS, the JTC job coach, Teresa McMillen, and the career tech teacher aide, Heidi Hoffmyer, volunteer their time to set up, organize and run the event each year.
\r\nThe JTC class is accepting donations of dresses, mens dress clothes, dress shoes, jewelry and accessories along with donations of thread and sewing supplies to be used by the volunteer seamstresses. All donations can be dropped off in the AHS security office, located at Door #1, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Donations will be accepted through April 3.