A local barbershop is educating young men in a different way than inside your normal classroom.
The method is making them feel comfortable in their own environment.
In a meeting of the minds, both young men and more experienced men met inside Big City Barbershop to have a real-life discussion about real-life issues.
“I said, 'You know what? I'm going to try this thing called 'Free Game',” said Derris Epkins, a barber at Big City Barber Shop.
Epkins is the mastermind behind this Free Game lesson.
“'Free Game' is pretty much another word for knowledge,” he said.
Knowledge can go a long way. But for the young men, their thirst for knowledge, or the game, is just starting.
“The reason why I said 12 is because kids that are 12 years old are more willing to understand and they're going through a lot of things,” said Epkins.
But why a barbershop?
“This the spot. The barbershop. That's where you talk about any and everything,” said Epkins.
Future music producer Elijah Johnson took advantage of the opportunity and talked about everything from relationships to education.
“They were telling us that education will get you through life and keep you going,” said Johnson.
Another topic often brought up during these talks is respect. Respect for each other, yourself and those in authority. This is when the conversation got a little personal for the room, even for Action News Jax reporter Larry Spruill.
“It's OK to tuck your shirt in. It's OK to show your belt. It's Ok to have your pants up, where they're supposed to be. I promise you it's OK,” Spruill said.
"Listen to your parents. All of these principles, and all of these things that we're talking about, it starts now, not when you're my age," said Perrier Williams.
Spruill: "What is the need for having Free Game in barbershops across Jacksonville?"
Epkins: "Spread the Word, that's it. Spread the word."
Epkins plans on having a Free Game Discussion once a month. He’s hoping other barbershops will follow the lead.