Da Vinci Design’s Annual Senior Showcase

Da Vinci Design hosted its annual Senior Showcase on Wednesday, May 22nd at the charming WWOO garden space in El Segundo. The celebration for friends and family was the culminating experience of the seniors’ six-week capstone projects. It was hard to not leave feeling inspired after hearing how students created and showcased innovative solutions to real-world problems in their local communities.

The Curl Collective's Mission to Empower Young Girls

In one empowering initiative, a group of DVD seniors known as the Curl Collective, set out on a mission to inspire young black girls and boys to embrace and love their naturally curly hair. Recognizing a gap in black hair care education and self-love, they visited two elementary schools in their communities to share their knowledge and personal experiences. 

The senior project deliverables include outreach in the community – and that’s exactly what the Curl Collective did. One member reached out to the principal of her former elementary school, Transfiguration Elementary School, and another cold called Frank D. Parent Elementary School. The Curl Collective specifically chose to target kids in 4th through 6th grade because this is the age when children are just beginning to learn how to style their hair. They also selected this age group because they wanted to engage with kids who would be genuinely interested in their presentation. One of the group members, Peyton, recalls that they had so many participants at the Frank D. Parent Elementary event that they had to conduct their presentation in the school's multi-purpose room.

The motivation for the Curl Collective stems from deeply personal experiences. Peyton says that she attended predominantly white schools and often straightened her curls to fit in with her peers. Similarly, another member, Jada, faced her own challenges growing up in a mixed-race family.  She reflected on her lack of knowledge on how to manage thick, curly hair, leading to insecurities about her appearance. These experiences fueled their passion to make a difference for the next generation.

The Curl Collective team created an engaging and informative slideshow presentation highlighting the rich history of African hair. They want young kids to understand that curly hair isn’t just an accessory, but that it historically represented marital status, ethnicity, and wealth. In addition to the presentation, the group developed a Hair Care 101 A-Z hair care book. Each letter corresponded to a key aspect of hair care, such as “B” for “brushing,” making complex concepts easy to grasp for their young audience.