Mini Woolies makes its premiere in the NT

Woolworths has brought the Mini Woolies program toward the Northern Territory, sending off a site at Henbury School in Tiwi.

Reproducing a supermarket setting, the learning space means supporting the education of students with incapacities through involved opportunities for growth.

The Mini Woolies program currently works in more than 55 areas across Australia and New Zealand. More than 4000 young people with handicaps have had the chance to draw in these learning spaces since the program was laid out in 2018.

Throughout the past month, a classroom at Henbury School has been changed over into another room that closely resembles a Woolworths grocery store, with baskets for fresh food, shelving for groceries, ticketing, signage and Woolworths-marked uniforms that students can wear to make an immersive educational experience.

Woolworths Casuarina Store Manager Lizi Lay and her team have worked with students and staff to teach them how to utilise the registers.

“Many of our team members know Henbury School students and staff in the local community and we were really excited to hear about the arrival of a Mini Woolies.

We visited the school last week to help get everyone set up on the registers. It was great to see students practising new skills such as finding items on a shopping list or greeting customers,” said Lay.

Henbury School caters for students from Year 7 to Year 12 with a scope of scholarly disabilities. In the later years, the school offers various programs to empower independence and elevate positive pathways to post-school options.

“Henbury School has a strong focus on building work ready skills to provide opportunities for our students post school. Our motto is ‘Preparing for Future Lifestyles’ and we hold the unwavering belief that every student should have the opportunity to have a meaningful pathway which includes a job.

We have a strong connection with the community and are extremely grateful to have Woolworths Group support our goals through the Mini Woolies program. The potential to change lives is real as we engage in the program and build long-lasting relationships with our local Woolworths stores,” said Henbury School Principal, Sarah Corry.