Woolworths’ Mini Woolies program has launched in New Zealand at Sommerville School in Tamaki Makaurau, providing children with disabilities with hands-on learning opportunities.

Students can participate in a learning experience that simulates real-world retail operations by using “play” money and registers set up to scan groceries and process sales, providing a realistic representation of retail transactions.

Sommerville School serves students with special educational needs aged 5 to 21 over 15 sites in Auckland’s eastern suburbs. The new Mini Woollies facility, located at its base school in Panmure, will allow kids of all ages to participate in the retail environment, whether by operating checkouts, replenishing shelves, or preparing food.

“This is such an exciting initiative to be introduced in New Zealand,“ says Belinda Johnston, principal of Sommerville School.

“We believe this will have a life-changing impact on our students and school community. Not only will our students acquire essential skills, but they will also grasp the real-life outcomes of their efforts in a supportive and secure environment.”

The Mini Woolies programme, launched in Australia in 2018, is a partnership between the Woolworths Group and Fujitsu to bring the dynamics of a real supermarket into educational settings.