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 to learn from and give back to Outback communities by experiencing life on the land.
The program is designed to complement the school curriculum, with suggested itineraries aligning to educational Outback experiences.
A subsidy is available upon application to all Queensland schools taking students in year 1 to 12 on a camp within the boundary of Outback Queensland. ‘Outback Queensland’ is defined as the local government areas of:
Flinders, Richmond, McKinlay, Cloncurry, Mount Isa, Barcaldine, Blackall-Tambo, Longreach, Winton, Barcoo, Boulia, Diamantina, 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 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 receive?
The scheme provides a subsidy of up to $130 per student to assist financially toward a school camp in Outback Queensland.
The subsidy is paid directly to schools 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 to schools on a per-student basis at rates according to round-trip distance travelled. Funds must be used to reduce the costs for individual students.
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: $130
This increase in subsidy funding for 2020 and 2021 is proudly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). The increased amount for this subsidy is only available until 30 June 2022 and will return to a maximum of $130 per student after this date.
This initiative is proudly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
