Community
22 January, 2025
Huge turnout for inaugural Back to School Expo
More than 500 people filed through the Buchanan Park Entertainment Centre.
Willanna Morris says she has been walking around with a permanent smile on her face after more than 500 people flooded through the doors at the Let’s Get Enrolled Back to School Expo.
The Ngukuthati Children and Family Centre manager was one of the main instigators of the expo, which saw 24 families attend the event and seek assistance to place their children in Mount Isa schools.
Ms Morris said there were dozens of local education, health and social service providers on hand at the expo to ensure these families would be provided with ongoing guidance as their children enter and reenter the school system.
“This seed was planted way back in February 2024, when I was gifted the honour to attend a National Social Services conference in Melbourne,” she said.
“Learning from other organisations around the country as what they all do to support their local families to get their children the best start in their educational year.
“My question was, why not Mount Isa? Then I posed this to our Ngukuthati Family and they all wholeheartedly responded ‘why can’t we?’”
Mount Isa organisers were unsure what the turnout would be at the expo, with limited publicity available due to it being held in the quiet January period when many families are absent from the city.
However, attendance well exceeded expectations, with the hundreds who attended treated to a plethora of activities, including free face painting, haircuts, barbecues and snow cones, which proved popular drawcards scattered among the numerous information stalls.
Organisers are already planning a similar expo next year – with participating organisations and government agencies keen to keep up the momentum in the effort to improve school attendance and engagement among the city’s young people.
“I have been getting a flood of emails and really positive feedback ever since the expo finished – I think we (service providers) are on the same page and we are committed to keeping this event going into the future,” Ms Morris said.