The Outback Queensland Education Experience Program was established in 2011 to encourage teachers to take their students to Outback Queensland and integrate its rich history and heritage into school learning. It provides the opportunity for students/ young people to learn from and give back to Outback communities by experiencing life on the land.
The program is designed to complement the school or approved home educator curriculum, with suggested itineraries aligning to educational Outback experiences.
A subsidy of $150 is available upon application to all Queensland schools and registered home educators taking students in year 1 to 12 on a learning experience within the boundary of Outback Queensland. ‘Outback Queensland’ is defined as the local government areas of:
Flinders, Richmond, McKinlay, Cloncurry, Mount Isa, Ballone, Barcaldine, Blackall-Tambo, Longreach, Winton, Barcoo, Boulia, Diamantina, Maranoa, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie, Bulloo, Croydon, Etheridge, Burke and Carpentaria.
The Program is designed to:
Outback Queensland offers rich history and ancient landscapes, colourful characters and quirky events. Visit any number of learning centres; exploring everything from nature and astronomy, to dinosaurs and Outback pioneers.
Here are just a few ideas of what you and your students/ young people could experience in Outback Queensland:
- Star gaze at the Cosmos Centre, Charleville
- Witness the Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park, Winton
- Climb the red sand hills of Munga-Thirri (Simpson Desert) National Park
- Learn about steam machinery at The Woolscour, Blackall
- Hear the story of the early operators of Qantas at the Qantas Founders Museum, Longreach
- Learn about the pioneers of the Outback at Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, Longreach
- Meet one of Australia's most endangered species - the Bilby, Charleville
- Traverse the pyramid on the northern Savannah range
- Scour the riverbanks of the Channel Country
- Dig for other types of buried treasure at mining sites from Mount Isa to Yowah
How much does each student/ young person receive?
The scheme provides a subsidy of up to $150 per student/ young person to assist financially toward an educational excursion in Outback Queensland.
Subsidies available for excursions completed by 31 December 2029, or until funding is fully allocated.
The subsidy is paid directly to schools/ registered home educators after having met the eligibility requirements for funding. 50% of the subsidy is paid upon approval of an application and the remaining 50% is paid after the excursion, upon receipt of a completed survey.
The payment is not meant to cover all costs. Funds are allocated on a per-student/ learner basis at rates according to round-trip distance travelled. Funds must be used to reduce the costs for individual students /learners.
Rates
The subsidy rates (excluding GST) are as follows:
Total distance travelled (round trip)
500km – 999km: $50
1,000km – 1,499km: $75
1,500km – 1,999km: $100
2,000km and over: $150