For the last 10 years, students at Aspley State High School have been participating in the annual Buy Smart campaign, where young and impressionable people learn important skills as sensible shoppers, as well as understand consumer rights and responsibilities.
The Buy Smart campaign enters its 20th year in 2021 and the kids at Aspley State High School helped the State Government launch the contest, where they could earn cash prizes for producing effective campaigns on how to be a smart shopper.
Divided into three categories for Years 4 to 6, Years 7 to 9 and Years 10 to 12, the campaign aims to showcase what the students have learned about consumer rights through the creation of videos, board games, songs or reading materials. This fun, engaging but educational competition drew 845 Queensland students in 2020.
“Last year’s winners Isaac and Daniel from Aspley State High School created a picture book to teach young children about how to avoid online scams,” Local Member for Aspley Bart Mellish said.
“Aspley SHS has been participating in Buy Smart for over ten years and have a strong reputation of delivering great creative ways to raise awareness on shopping scams.”
According to the Office for Fair Trading, Buy Smart was developed for young people who have allowances and money to spend.
“In today’s growing online shopping market, so it’s important they develop their consumer awareness,” Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman said. “Buy Smart activities are mapped to the school curriculum and the OFT makes free lesson plans and classroom activities available to teachers to assist them to include these important topics in their classes.”
To join this contest, students may sign up as an individual or a team and come up with a good, well-researched campaign material. Big prizes await the best creative ideas:
| RANK | PRIZE |
| First | $500 for the entrant/group $2,000 for the school or organisation |
| Second | $250 for the entrant/group $1,000 for the school or organisation |
| Third | $150 for the entrant/group $500 for the school or organisation |
| Special: Fair Trading Commissioner’s School Champion | $1,500 |
Submissions of materials will be until 21 Sept 2021. For more details, check the Buy Smart official site.
