Prom season has officially begun. 

Students from Centreville High School and the Fair Oaks Classroom on the Mall program will open their annual Prom Dress Shop, which aims to help economically challenged students celebrate in style, on Friday, March 7.

The shop, which operates out of Centreville High School in Clifton, Va., has helped hundreds of students attend prom each spring by providing prom dresses and accessories at no cost to students. Any area student, not just those from Fairfax County Public Schools, who does not have the funds to purchase a prom dress may choose from hundreds of dresses donated by Macy’s and community members.  

In 2006, Centreville High School and Fair Oaks Classroom on the Mall students partnered together to collect dresses as a way to combine their interests in fashion with community service. The marketing students apply the retail marketing and visual merchandising skills learned throughout the school year to transform their classroom into the Prom Dress Shop.  

“This is an excellent opportunity to accomplish several goals at once,” said Miranda Schick, Centreville High School and Classroom on the Mall Marketing Teacher. “First, students apply learned marketing lessons to a real-world retail environment. Second, they support the School Board’s goals of helping students succeed beyond the classroom through their ‘Portrait of a Graduate’. This includes communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and global citizenship skills.” 

Members of the community who wish to donate gently used, dry-cleaned prom dresses and accessories may drop off items in the Main Office at Centreville High School. The office is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The program can also accept donations during shop hours March 7-9 and April 4-6.

The Prom Dress Shop is located in the modular classroom building near the stadium, in the student parking lot of Centreville High School, outside of door 12.  

Students with financial challenges who wish to obtain prom wear through the program must show a valid student ID, or other form of school identification, to select a free dress during the following store hours:

• Friday, March 7, 5-8 p.m.

• Saturday, March 8, 2-5 p.m.

• Sunday, March 9, 1-4 p.m.

• Friday, April 4, 5-8 p.m.

• Saturday, April 5, 2-5 p.m.

• Sunday, April 6, 1-4 p.m.