Woolworth’s Mini Woolies programme has expanded across Auckland with the opening of its second school, offering a unique learning opportunity for children and young adults with disabilities.
The programme was designed to give students with disabilities practical learning experiences by bringing an actual supermarket into an educational setting.
By doing this, students experience learning in a comfortable and fun way, gaining literacy, numeracy and vital communication skills in a vibrant room that transforms into a mini supermarket.
The second opening was held at Central Auckland Specialist School (CASS) and comes a month after the programme’s initial launch at Sommerville School in Panmure.
The programme’s participants can fill baskets with real groceries, use a cash register to make transactions, create shopping lists, and provide customer service. This hopes to help students develop confidence, independence, and connection to their local community.
“Together, we’re building a bright future for students at CASS, and we couldn’t be prouder to be supporting the incredible work of the school by introducing this new learning environment,” said Spencer Sonn, managing director of Woolworths New Zealand.
“Our aspiration is to make Mini Woolies accessible to students across New Zealand, allowing many more rangatahi to practice real-world skills in a simulated grocery environment.”
Products from the Mini Woolies programme, which is located on campus and supported by the local Woolworths Three Kings, are also used in classroom activities.
CASS serves students with special educational needs between the ages of 5 and 21. It first opened in 2018 after the merger of two central Auckland schools that served individuals with disabilities.
Mini Woolies was introduced in New Zealand after its great success in Australia. Since its 2018 launch, the programme has been introduced in many local communities and has served more than 5,600 students with disabilities.
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