Coles launches mini supermarket for students with disabilities – designed to teach them real-life practical skills!
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Here's your dose of good news for today, members!
Supermarket giant Coles has taken the initiative to convert an old classroom into a real-life mini supermarket at a Sydney school for children living with disabilities, in an effort to show and teach them practical life skills.
The primary school and high school students at St Lucy's School in Wahroonga, New South Wales, were said to be excited about trying out the fully-functioning store where they could pretend to be Coles customers or workers.
The Coles mini shop is designed to give the students a real shopping experience guided by supervising adults.
If the students choose to be workers, they have to carry out a range of tasks including shelf stocking and customer service. And if the students want to be a customer, they can practice shopping for themselves or their families in a familiar and realistic environment.
The experience gives the students a chance to take part in helping each other learn some very important lessons. Credit: DailyMail.
The mini-supermarket is equipped with little shopping trolleys, a working checkout counter with a conveyor belt and bagging area, Coles signage as well as aisles of half-height shelves filled with typical supermarket items, such as snacks, cereals, and toiletries.
Basically everything you would normally see in Coles but in a scaled-down version!
Joshua, a student from the school, said he enjoyed the experience because he liked scanning the items his classmates bought in their mini-supermarket.
His dad, James, also said that he's grateful to Coles for giving the students a chance to get out there and be included in the community. This experience also showcases their skills and personalities, allowing them to be seen and deemed important.
Students shopping and working at the Coles supermarket at St Lucy's School. Credit: DailyMail.
David Raphael, the school's principal, said he's determined to give his students a bright future and he's grateful that Coles was there to help.
"The Coles mini-supermarket provides a safe environment to teach our students about safety in the workplace and to develop the important skills needed for effective communication, collaboration, and interpersonal relationships in the workplace and beyond," he said.
"In terms of our young people to actually experience shopping but also work opportunities in the future and workplace employment, it's really just absolutely life-changing for our students."
This is such a lovely gesture from Coles! On top of that, the kids also seem to be having a great time (what kid doesn't love playing shops!?).
What are your thoughts, members? Should there be more initiatives like this one?
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