Warringa Park School and Woolworths celebrated a special milestone with the opening of the 100th Mini Woolies on Wednesday, May 7.
Parents and guests joined students at the school’s Werribee South campus for the official opening of the converted classroom that was fitted with two registers and featured a paradoxically named Mini Big W.
Mini Woolies are simulated supermarket spaces within various educational settings (primary and secondary schools, TAFEs and disability service providers) that help students practise new skills.
From stacking shelves to operating check-out registers, the mini supermarkets can be integrated within various learning models and applied to develop different skills.
“It’s incredible to see how far the program has come in seven years,” Woolworths Group general manager of Mini Woolies Sarah Corey said.
“Whether it’s for a maths class, cooking class or for practical experience in a retail qualification, we’ve seen the program used in so many creative ways, and it’s fantastic to see students and staff having fun and making the most of these spaces.”
Principal Ashwini Sharma said the opportunity to open a Mini Woolies is an incredibly exciting prospect for the school.
“We are dedicated to providing authentic learning opportunities to apply skills students have learnt over their time at school to real world contexts, to prepare them as they move to their post school pathway,” she said.
“Having a space where they can learn to engage effectively with an authentic supermarket environment is critical to this growth.”
Since launching in 2018, more than 8100 young people living with disabilities have participated in a Mini Woolies.
