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Highlights: The Official Newsletter of AACS

By AACS

10/2/2025

October 2, 2026

October 2, 2025

🌴 AACS Annual Conference: Miami Beach, Oct. 23–26, 2025

Join school owners, directors, and leaders from across the country for the premier event in beauty, barber, and wellness education. Expect powerful breakout sessions, panels, roundtables, networking, and celebrations—all in the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Don’t miss the most important industry event of the year.

Golden School Awards: Who Will Be Named 2025 School of the Year?

With more than 150 entries, our panel of judges is hard at work evaluating and scoring submissions for the 2025 Golden School Awards. We can't wait to announce the winners in all nine distinct categories!

The winners of the 2025 Golden School Awards will be announced at the Awards Luncheon during the AACS Annual Conference in Miami Beach, October 23-26. Click below to sign up and be there for the awards ceremony!

Find Out Who Wins at Annual!

CEA 2026 Dates Announced

We're excited to announce that the 2026 CEA Conference is set for July 18–20, 2026 in Anaheim, California!

This is your opportunity to gain new classroom strategies, share best practices, and connect with fellow beauty, barber, and wellness educators from across the country. Stay tuned for more information, coming soon! For now, feel free to use our estimated expenses worksheet as you budget for 2026.

Estimated Expense Worksheet

Beauty, Barber, and Wellness School Students Survey

AACS Premier Partner, Qnity for Schools, is conducting a survey to understand the financial realities facing trade school students today—and needs your help reaching them.

Please share the survey linked below with your students. This survey will capture students' real experiences and create actionable insights that will benefit the entire trade school community.

Student Survey

UPMC & Altoona Beauty School Partner for Mamm O' Glam Event

UPMC Health Plan and AACS member, Altoona Beauty School, partnered together to give women mammograms and manicures at UPMC’s annual Mamm O’ Glam event in September.

The event was created to help women feel confident when getting a mammogram, as many women find the process to be uncomfortable or even painful. The event also gave the students at Altoona Beauty School a chance to gain real-world experience providing manicures.

Tricoci University of Beauty Culture Announces Extended Partnership with Bloomington Career Academy

AACS member school, Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, announced the expansion of its partnership with the Bloomington Career Academy, strengthening opportunities for high school students wishing to pursue careers in both cosmetology and esthetics.