South Florida nonprofits help families prepare for back-to-school season

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. 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 …