Buy Smart Competition winners
Congratulations to the 2024 Buy Smart Competition prize winners who were announced at Parliament House on 14 November 2024.
Learn more about the winning entries for:
Years 4 to 6 winners
First place
Meredith and Ruby—St Dympna's Catholic Primary School
First place was awarded to The Daily Gossip, in which helpful talk show hosts Meredith and Ruby dive into the topic of 'shrinkflation', highlighting examples from popular brands. They encourage their viewers to pay close attention to unit pricing and take their time when shopping.
Second place
Kazuya—Wellers Hill State School
Second place went to a slide presentation featuring the adventures of Budgeting Ben. While budgeting for an exciting theme park trip, Ben has to balance unexpected expenses with his income from chores to ensure he meets his goal.
Third place
Annie, Haeley and Kylie—Clover Hill State School
Third place was given to a short film about online scams. The judges noted the film's important message about seeking advice from a trusted adult when you're uncertain about offers found online. A cautionary tale depicting how getting help from others can be the best defence against scams.
Highly commended
Highly commended awards went to (in no particular order):
- Lila—St Dympna's Catholic Primary School, for a multimodal digital presentation for kids on setting up micro-businesses, such as pet sitting or lawn mowing, to make money
- Remy and Simba—Clover Hill State School, for a skit on scams involving ‘too-good-to-be-true’ offers and advice on how to protect yourself if you’re a victim of a scam
- Heidi, Isaac and Sophia—Kurwongbah State School, for a multimodal presentation featuring a dramatisation of a scammer at work, while providing tips on how to be safe when online shopping
- Harper and May—Wellers Hill State School, for a multimodal presentation exploring online shopping scams and how to avoid scammers preying on your emotional impulses
- Olivia and Addison—St Paul's Lutheran Primary School, for a short video series covering smarter shopping topics, such as shopping around and unit pricing.
Years 7 to 9 winners
First place
Dev and Ivan—Merrimac State High School
First place was awarded to the Refund Enforcers and their witty sketch explaining the rules around refunds and remedies under the Australian Consumer Law. The judges found this an entertaining, offbeat way to offer high quality information and learning.
Second place
Olivia, Paiton and Leah—Livingstone Christian College
Second place went to a catchy song for teens and young people centered on scams awareness and featuring well-thought-out messaging—the judges will be singing this song for some time yet.
Third place
Fina, Sofia, Elise and Hester—Loreto College
Third place was given to the Shopping Online magazine, which was so well designed it wouldn't look out of place on a magazine rack instore. It offers readers the 'why' and 'how' of safely shopping online and features clever tips and tricks such as checking URLs and more.
Highly commended
Highly commended awards went to (in no particular order):
- Phoebe and Indi-Anna—Merrimac State High School, for an interactive pop-up style book filled with tips and tricks for avoiding and identifying scams.
- Matilda and Isabella—Sheldon College, for the Cash or Crash board game where players navigate various simulated real-life scenarios involving shops and potential scams.
- Ambrose and Travis—Cairns State High School, for a traveller awareness poster on the top travel scams and how to avoid being caught out.
- Savannah and Demi—Clayfield College, for a picture book reimagining the classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, which teaches children about the 'right to redress'.
- Mina, Emma and Emily—Sheldon College, for an eye-catching stop motion film offering tips and tricks around buying a car, featuring a hand drawn 'lemon' car to represent faulty motor vehicles.
Years 10 to 12 winners
First place
Andrei—The Springfield Anglican College
First place was awarded to the Deceptive Patterns board game centered on hidden tactics online retailers can use to manipulate consumers. The judges loved this clever game that combined fun gameplay with important lessons to empower consumers to recognise deceptive tactics
Second place
Cooper and Thomas—Aspley State High School
Second place went to a thoroughly-researched and constructed brochure for first time car buyers, including an accompanying poster guiding buyers through the essential steps—this entry was a true standout for the judges.
Third place
Lucas and Liam—Aspley State High School
Third place was given to an engaging 'choose your own adventure' style slide presentation detailing various scams young people may encounter when planning Schoolies Week celebrations and providing tips on how to avoid them—this presentation is a must see for school leavers.
Highly commended
Highly commended awards went to (in no particular order):
- Grant—Aspley State High School, for a children's book titled The Dangers of Online Shopping, focusing on buying a gift for an upcoming birthday.
- Liora—Nambour State College, for a slide presentation aimed at teenagers, exploring buying a first car and featuring a well-researched cost analysis table.
- Maia and Sofia—Ormiston College, for a comprehensive brochure educating young women on the potential dangers of shopping online.
Commissioner's School Champion Prize
This prize went to Carinity Education Southside, who have enthusiastically participated in the Buy Smart Program through student presentations since 2021.
The school provides opportunities for young women experiencing hardship or vulnerability to further their education.
The teachers embrace Buy Smart as an important way to embed skills like consumer and financial literacy in their students.
Students are lively and engaged, asking great questions, and keen to learn their rights and avoid pitfalls.
Carinity Education Southside is a worthy winner of this year's prize!