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School begins Monday for more than 100,000 students in the Philadelphia School District, but before the first bell of the new school year sounds, a couple hundred kids got free haircuts at the West Philadelphia YMCA on Sunday.

Barbers Who Care, a local group that helps children improve self-esteem through haircuts, not only helped students with a fresh first-day look, but also set them up with school supplies and additional resources.

Kenny Duncan, the group’s founder, said it was great to give back to students from his “old stomping grounds.”

“This is where I was born and raised, and this is where I’ve met a bunch of different mentors through the barbershop that helped raise me,” said Duncan, who also owns Main Attraction Unisex Salon and is the barber for several Sixers players.

Duncan said 77 barbers and stylists from five different states linked up to make the event happen. He said the collaboration not only helped connect industry professionals, but gave him and many others the chance to connect directly with the younger generation and listen to their thoughts on what’s happening in their communities.

“My perspective is that young men spend more time in a barber shop than they do in a library,” Duncan said. “So mentorship takes place in the barber shop, and we have to be intentional about what we say, what we do to help inspire and then make an imprint on the next generation.”

Greater Philadelphia YMCA CEO Joe Ferguson said the start of a new school year can be stressful for families, but even small efforts to support them can make a big difference.

“I think that, ultimately, is a goal of ours,” he said. “We can’t do everything, but we can do a little bit. We can do our part, and we owe it to ourselves to try to find ways we can partner with others that want to do their part.”

Mike Walker, a barber based in Northwest Philadelphia, said it’s a gratifying experience, and that not only are some parents brought to tears by the event’s impact, but so are the barbers.

“It’s emotional. They’re very happy,” Walker said. “But moreover, these kids walk out with confidence, a smile, and not just a good haircut — they walk out with a great haircut. These barbers are not just zooming through. They’re actually taking their time and giving the children and the parents what they ask for.”

Tomorrow is the first day of school for grades 1-12. The first day of school for kindergarten students is Thursday, Aug. 27.

This is the last full school year before some Philadelphia schools close and others merge under a new facilities plan that district leaders say will address aging buildings and declining enrollment.