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Merry Christmas!

’Twas the lead-up to Christmas, and all through The Big Issue, we’re celebrating the season with warmth and Big Wish Yous. Melbourne vendor Con is our cover Claus, helping to spread the joy of The Big Wish You: an annual compilation of vendors’ messages of gratitude, reflections on the year that was, and their hopes for 2025. Across an extra eight pages, it’s an edition packed with stories capturing every facet of the most wonderful time of the year – Scrooge himself couldn’t resist.

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Our
Workshops

Workshops

The Big Issue Classroom offers two workshops for primary students. Through age-appropriate storytelling and discussion, students are invited to think about the future of their communities and actions they can take to promote social justice.

The content of each workshop has been tailored to different age groups, is linked to different learning areas in the Australian Curriculum and can be presented online or in-person.

Josh’s Story: the Impact of Choices

In this workshop, students participate in tower-building game and a storybook reading to learn about homelessness in an age-appropriate format.

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Finding Belonging: Explorations of Homelessness and Disadvantage

Students will hear from a specially-trained guest speaker who has experienced homelessness...

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The Big Issue Classroom offers two workshops for secondary students. Led by a skilled facilitator, students are encouraged to reconsider stereotypes about homelessness and disadvantage and learn how social enterprises like The Big Issue can help resolve current social issues. Students will also have the opportunity to hear from a guest speaker who has experienced homelessness and disadvantage.

The content of each workshop has been tailored to different age groups, is linked to different learning areas in the Australian Curriculum and can be presented online or in-person.

The Big City Search

The Big City Search is an additional self-led activity for schools attending in-person workshops in Sydney and Melbourne. Students are given instructions and clues for a problem-solving challenge which is completed in groups. As they move around the city, they explore issues relating to homelessness such as access to transport, services, healthcare and income. This hands-on experience builds on the content from the workshop by providing an insight into some of the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage.

To book this activity, please fill out the booking form below.

Discussions About Homelessness and Disadvantage

Featuring the story of a guest speaker who has experienced homelessness, this workshop engages students through discussion and activities.

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A Case for Social Enterprise

In this workshop, students explore the role social enterprises such as The Big Issue can play in alleviating disadvantage and offering sustainable solutions to pressing social issues.

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The Big Issue Higher Education offers two programs for tertiary students. These programs help develop empathy and an awareness of disadvantage for students to apply in their future careers. Each program booked provides a paid work opportunity for a guest speaker experiencing disadvantage.

Social Impact Project: Immersion In Social Enterprise

The Social Impact Project is designed for students who are looking to enhance their employability through a real-life social enterprise learning experience.

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Speaker Series: Broadening Perspectives Through Real-Life Stories

The Big Issue’s Speaker Series is designed to help students understand how disadvantage and marginalisation impacts the customers and clients they may encounter in their careers.

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Workshops available for corporate groups include Stories with Impact, designed for businesses and staff to improve their confidence in interacting with clients or customers experiencing hardship and disadvantage. We also have The Big Issue Challenge, a team-building activity where you hit the streets to sell The Big Issue magazine with a vendor.

Stories with Impact: Understanding hardship through lived
experiences

Stories with Impact is a brand-new program by The Big Issue

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The Big Issue Challenge

The Big Issue Challenge is a corporate team-building activity that makes a real difference.

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Resources

Resources on homelessness

Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute ahuri.edu.au

Homelessness Australia homelessnessaustralia.org.au

Department of Social Services dss.gov.au

Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) acoss.org.au

Statistics from 2016 census abs.gov.au

Addiction, homelessness, domestic violence, leaving school, death of a family member… Want to talk about something you heard in the workshop?

Headspace headspace.org.au

Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800 kidshelpline.com.au

Lifeline 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au

Beyondblue 1300 26 4636 beyondblue.org.au

Ask Izzy askizzy.org.au

Guest Speaker Profiles
Shane

“I enjoy this more than any other job I’ve had. The interaction with students is amazing. I love to see their reactions when they learn about homelessness.

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Peter

The best part of the Classroom for Peter? “It’s the enjoyment of seeing the kids’ faces light up…they shake my hand and say ‘I really enjoyed your talk today'”.

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Book a workshop

To request a workshop, Big City Search or find out more information, please fill out the form below. All bookings are subject to availability.
We will contact you to discuss your booking request.

Primary and secondary workshops are one hour in length