MIAMI BEACH, Fla, — Thousands of South Florida families are receiving free school supplies, clothing, meals and other essentials this weekend as community organizations work to ease the cost of returning to school.
Style Saves, a Miami-based nonprofit led by Rachael Russel Saiger and Isabela Grutman, is hosting its 16th annual back-to-school event Saturday and Sunday at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Organizers expect more than 20,000 families to attend the event, which has been transformed with a jungle theme. Students can receive backpacks filled with 21-piece school supply kits, school uniforms, sneakers, socks, belts and hoodies at no cost.
The event also includes a marketplace offering hot meals and groceries for families to take home. Organizers said participating partners are providing food and other necessities, including fresh produce and packaged goods.
Style Saves also is providing personal-care and beauty services, including hair, nails and skincare products. Saiger said the goal is to give students confidence and a sense of dignity as they begin the school year.
Since its founding, Style Saves says it has served more than 250,000 students and families and has grown into what organizers describe as the nation’s largest back-to-school giveaway.
The Miami Beach event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Hall D of the Miami Beach Convention Center. Saturday’s capacity was sold out, while organizers said limited space remained for Sunday. Families are required to register in advance and receive a QR code for entry.
In Broward County, the back-to-school push extends beyond free uniforms and supplies, with the school district highlighting programs designed to prepare students for careers in specialized industries.
At Miramar High School, students are entering the new school year with an expanded Space Academy program that puts them in real-world scenarios connected to aerospace, aviation and engineering.
Loli Formoso, an instructional director, said the program is designed to connect students directly with multiple industries and give them exposure to potential career paths.
The Space Academy is part of a broader focus on magnet and immersive learning opportunities across Broward County Public Schools, as educators prepare students for the start of classes Monday.
Broward County Superintendent Howard Hepburn said teachers were already back in classrooms preparing for students.
“We’re excited to welcome all our students back,” Hepburn said. “Our teachers are already back — they’re preparing classrooms, readying themselves to welcome their students.”
Students said they were looking forward to the opportunities ahead.
Cole Etter, a Miramar High student, said he was not completely prepared for the start of school but was excited about another year in the aviation program. He said he could see himself working as an aviation mechanic in the future.
Zahara Afflick said she was ready for the new school year, while fellow student Kareen Pierre said she was excited to meet new people and begin the year.
Pierre said she hopes to become an aerospace engineer, particularly designing aerospace systems.
The district says programs such as Space Academy provide students with specialized curriculum as well as potential pathways to internships and other career opportunities.
Elsewhere in Broward County, the Brotherly Love Foundation hosted its first annual Uniform, Health and Job Fair Saturday at Reverend Samuel DeBois Park in Fort Lauderdale. The event offers free uniforms and school supplies to families who attend with their children, along with job and resource assistance for parents.
The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Organizers said registration is not required.
The events come as South Florida families make final preparations for the start of the new school year, with nonprofit groups, schools and community partners working both to offset the costs of getting students ready and to expand opportunities that can shape their futures.
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