Getting children ready for a new school year can be a struggle for many families. School Savvy FNQ is an initiative designed to help.
School Savvy FNQ aims to help as many children as possible be ‘back-to-school ready’, with the appropriate resources required to succeed.
This ensures that back-to-school costs are not a barrier to accessing education and reduces the child’s risk of isolation and disengagement.
To help ease the back-to-school financial pressure that some families face, School Savvy brings together second hand uniforms, common booklist stationery supplies, and hairdressers for back-to-school hair cuts.
Returning kids to school for the new year with the right resources means that the impacts of the financial distress some families face will not stand in the way of a quality education.
School Savvy was launched by Centacare FNQ in 2016 as part of Anti-Poverty Week to support young children and families in need as they prepare for the new school year.
The program collects donated school uniforms, supplies, and computers, which are cleaned and offered at temporary pop-up shops for a small coin donation. Originally launched in Cairns, the program has since expanded to Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay, and Gladstone, with plans to include Toowoomba and Brisbane later in 2025.
The School Savvy pop-up shops will open in January, but the program remains active year-round to support students in need. From February to December, we encourage students and families to first contact their School Guidance Officer, who can provide a referral to the School Savvy program for additional assistance.
We offer:
Pop-up Shops are open temporarily in January, but School Savvy is available year-round through school and service referrals. Additionally, other services and businesses will be on-site with useful resources.
Download and view the School Savvy FNQ brochure (PDF)
Phone: 4044 0130
Email: [email protected]
