School Outreach and Widening Participation Purpose and impact
Purpose and impact
- Future Students
- JCU Global Experience
- International Students
- Student experience
- Open Day
- How to apply
- Pathways to university
- Living on Campus
- Courses
- Publications
- Mature students
- Scholarships
- Entry options
- JCU Families
- JCU Heroes Programs
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Marine Science
- Elite Athletes
- Defence
- Capability.Co
- AI@JCU
- AALL
- Current Students
- Student Ambassador Program
- New students
- JCU Orientation
- LearnJCU
- Placements
- EDQS
- Unicare Centre and Unicampus Kids
- Graduation
- Off-Campus Students
- JCU Job Ready
- Safety and Wellbeing
- JCU Prizes
- Professional Experience Placement
- Employability Edge
- Art of Academic Writing
- Art of Academic Editing
- Careers and Employability
- Health, Wellbeing and Belonging
- Career Ready Plan
- Careers at JCU
- Partners and Community
- School Outreach and Widening Participation
- Alumni
- International partnerships
- About JCU
- Reputation and Experience
- Chancellery
- Governance
- Celebrating 50 Years
- Academy
- Indigenous Engagement
- Education Division
- Graduate Research School
- Research Division
- Research and Innovation Services
- CASE
- College of Business, Law and Governance
- College of Healthcare Sciences
- College of Medicine and Dentistry
- College of Science and Engineering
- MPE
- Anthropological Laboratory for Tropical Audiovisual Research (ALTAR)
- Rural Remote and Tropical Health Systems
- Agriculture Technology and Adoption Centre (AgTAC)
- Advanced Analytical Centre
- AMHHEC
- Aquaculture Solutions
- AMHRA
- JCU Digital Wellbeing Group
- ARCSTA
- Lions Marine Research Trust
- Australian Tropical Herbarium
- Australian Quantum & Classical Transport Physics Group
- Boating and Diving
- Clinical Psychedelic Research Lab
- Centre for Tropical Biosecurity
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
- CITBA
- CMT
- Centre for Disaster Solutions
- CSTFA
- Cyclone Testing Station
- The Centre for Disaster Studies
- Daintree Rainforest Observatory
- Fletcherview
- JCU Eduquarium
- JCU Turtle Health Research
- MARFU
- Orpheus
- TESS
- JCU Ideas Lab
- CADSI
- CNL
- TARL
- eResearch
- Indigenous Education and Research Centre
- Past Course and Subject Handbooks
- Estate
- Work Health and Safety
- Staff
- Discover Nature at JCU
- Cyber Security Hub
- Association of Australian University Secretaries
- Services Division
- Environmental Research Complex [ERC]
- Foundation for Australian Literary Studies
- Gender Equity at JCU
- Give to JCU
- Indigenous Legal Needs Project
- Inherent Requirements
- IsoTropics Lab
- IT Services
- JCU Webinars
- JCU Events
- JCU Motorsports
- JCU Sport
- Library
- Mabo Decision: 30 years on
- Marine Geophysics Laboratory
- Office of the Vice Chancellor and President
- Outstanding Alumni
- Policy
- PAHL
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Rapid Assessment Unit
- RDIM
- Researcher Development Portal
- Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing
- Contextual Science for Tropical Coastal Ecosystems
- State of the Tropics
- Strategic Procurement
- Student profiles
- SWIRLnet
- TREAD
- TropEco for Staff and Students
- TUDLab
- VAVS Home
- WHOCC for Vector-borne & NTDs
- Media
- Copyright and Terms of Use
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
- JCU Respect
- Pay review
- Research
Addressing Educational Inequity in Regional Queensland
James Cook University (JCU) is committed to improving higher education participation for students in regional, rural and remote (RRR) communities across North and Far North Queensland.
Data consistently shows:
- Lower bachelor degree attainment compared to state and national averages
- Lower university participation among Year 12 leavers
- Structural barriers linked to geography, socioeconomic disadvantage and limited subject access
Meeting Australia’s higher education participation targets requires sustained engagement with underrepresented communities — including regional, low SES and First Nations students.
Our approach to Widening Participation
JCU’s outreach strategy is built on five interrelated pillars:
- Co-design
- Community & Connection
- Confidence
- Clarity
- Capacity
These principles guide a suite of activities including:
- On-campus immersive experiences
- In-school engagement programs
- Academic mentoring and tutoring
- Career development initiatives
- Regional outreach hubs
- Community partnerships
Who we work with
Primary Schools
Supporting early awareness of learning pathways and positive learner identity.
Secondary Schools
Supporting Years 7–12 students with:
- Subject choice clarity
- Career exploration
- Study skills and academic confidence
- Understanding tertiary pathways
Communities & Partners
Collaborating with:
- Regional University Study Hubs (RUSH)
- Country University Centre (CUCS)
- Clontarf Foundation
- AFL Cape York House
- Department of Education
- Community organisations across Queensland
How our programs are funded
JCU Outreach initiatives are supported through Australian Government Outreach Funding aligned with Universities Accord recommendations.
Funding enables JCU to:
- Deliver programs in schools and regional communities
- Provide immersive on-campus experiences
- Offer travel assistance and QTAC vouchers
- Prioritise equity cohorts
Our Impact
Programs are developed and evaluated using the Student Equity in Higher Education Evaluation Framework (SEHEEF).
Through sustained engagement, students:
- See university as achievable
- Build confidence and self-efficacy
- Understand pathways into higher education
- Make informed decisions about their future