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Highlights from the 2025 National RUSH Widening Participation Forum

SPERA is proud to acknowledge the leadership of our President & Advocacy Director, Chris Ronan, who recently contributed to the 2025 National RUSH Widening Participation Forum hosted by Country Universities Centre at the Australian National University. The Forum brought together 151 participants from across Australia, uniting practitioners, researchers, policy leaders, Regional University Study Hub teams, […]

Northam Regional Study Hub Officially Opened by Minister Jason Clare

SPERA was pleased to see regional higher education in the spotlight with Minister Jason Clare officially opening the new Regional Study Hub in Northam, Western Australia — the fifth hub established by the Lumen Wheatbelt Regional University Study Hubs. SPERA Secretary Natalie Nelmes attended the event alongside local council leaders, community members, WA universities, and […]

Wanted: AIJRE editorial team and advisory board members!

The Australian and International Journal of Rural Education (AIJRE) is one of the few publications that focus on rural education research, and it is perhaps the only one with an international focus. The AIJRE is building its international reputation and improving its standing as a quality journal. Over the last few years, citation rates for […]

AIJRE Issue: Reimagining mobility in rural education: Challenges, opportunities, and paths forward

This special issue explores the complex intersections of mobility and rurality across diverse global contexts. The contributing articles by up-and-coming rural scholars reveal how mobility encompasses multifaceted social, emotional, and cognitive transitions that shape rural individuals’ lived experiences and imagined futures. AIJRE Vol. 35 No. 3

Building the Early Childhood Workforce in Port Augusta

Building on the success of the Roxby Downs Early Childhood Project in 2024, The Strengthening Futures: Early Childhood Workforce Project, Port Augusta is a collaborative, locally-driven initiative addressing the shortage of qualified early childhood educators and teachers in Port Augusta and the Upper Spencer Gulf region. Led by Uni Hub Spencer Gulf in partnership with Central Queensland […]

Celebrating Community-Led Change in Regional Higher Education

SPERA is proud to acknowledge the Eastern Australia Regional University Centre Partnership (EARUCP) for receiving national recognition for its bold reimagining of university outreach in regional, rural and remote communities. Led by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Country Universities Centre (CUC), the partnership spans 25 universities and 14 Regional University Centres across […]

Highlights from The Australian Student Equity Symposium

SPERA’s Chris Ronan and Natalie Nelmes attended the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success, ‘Student Equity in an Era of Change 2025: The Australian Student Equity Symposium’ in September.  The Symposium focused on student equity in this era of change, commencing with the perspectives of higher education students with a diversity of backgrounds. It […]

AIJRE Issue: Improving Rural and Regional Student Experiences

This issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, explores the challenges and opportunities for researching and reporting student experience in rural and regional education. The articles in this issue illustrate how the voices of students can be and are represented through research. AIJRE Vol. 35 No. 2

AIJRE Issue: Rural Education for Regional and Community Development

Education in any of its forms (early years, primary, secondary, tertiary and adult education) in rural and remote communities, plays a critical role in sustaining and developing regions. In this issue the articles describe programs and approaches that work to build the regional workforce and create socially inclusive communities. AIJRE Vol.35

2024 NCRRRE Wrap Up

The full program and abstracts from the 2024 National Conference for Regional, Rural and Remote Education is now available. Many thanks to all our presenters, attendees and sponsors for making this conference such a success.We look forward to seeing you again in 2026!

AIJRE issue: Considering Diversity in Educational Research that Explores School-Community Relationships

This special issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education explores school-community relationships from a diversity perspective. The contributions originated in presentations delivered as part of the European Educational Research Association’s Network 14 sessions at the annual European Conference in Educational Research in August 2023. The papers present perspectives from a wide range of contexts: […]

2024 National Conference for Regional, Rural and Remote Education

We are excited to announce the Call for Submission and Registration for the 2024 National Conference for Regional, Rural and Remote Education (NCRRRE) is now open! The Conference theme “Growth Through Equity” aims to highlight strength-based models for regional, rural and remote education, whereby education providers recognise and partner with the rich knowledge, experiences, skills […]

The Importance of Local Voices in Rural Communities

Voices matter. The experience of the recent referendum on First Nations constitutional recognition in Australia demonstrates that local people in remote communities have a voice and want to be heard. Read the lastest issue of AIJRE.

Rural Insights: Vocational Education & Rural Industry Partnerships

In November 2023 host Samantha Avitaia from Bega NSW spoke with Julie Evans, CEO of Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care and delved into how the organisation forged local partnerships with three tiers of education: secondary, vocational and tertiary – in a simple but effective program to address a rural staffing crisis, and provide positive outcomes […]

Rural Insights – Teaching in very remote schools

This month October 2023 our host Viveka Simpson (Teach for Australia) welcomed guests Rex Meredith and Jonelle Heacock to take a closer look at teaching in very remote Australian schools. Catchup via our webinar recording here:

Rural Insights – Facilitating Student Success

Our September 2023 webinar featured Dr Marcia Devlin, CEO of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership with Kimberley Tempest, Principal of Cobram Secondary College. They unpacked factors impacting the success of students at rural and regional institutions, at both secondary and higher education levels. Watch the webinar recording here:

AIJRE- Rural Knowledges and Curriculum: International Perspectives

In this special issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, international scholars consider how rural knowledges are – or are not – embedded in their local educational systems. They draw on their work, research, and their lived-experiences in rural education to explore the opportunities and challenges of enacting place-conscious curriculum and pedagogies.

Rural Insights – Indigenous initiatives

Indigenous initiative Wuyagiba Study Hub, is changing the landscape within the education sector. We enjoyed a wonderful webinar on Monday 31st July 2023. Watch the recording here:

Rural Insights – Jul 2023

Early Childhood Education SPERA is delighted to be launching our ‘Rural Insights’ webinar series from July 2023. At just 30 mins, these are short, sharp and fast webinars that couple research and best-practice practical approaches to rural education issues.

SPERA talks Higher Education

SPERA developed a unique submission to the Australian Universities Accord featuring a series of rural case studies. Through these examples, SPERA hope to highlight the very real challenges that students from RRR areasface in pursuing higher education and the importance of providing targeted support to help them achieve their goals. SPERA believe that by sharing […]

AIJRE: Celebration, Attraction and Retention of a Regional and Rural Workforce

In this issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, the contributingauthors explore the impact of partnerships and purposeful engagement in attracting andretaining professionals to regional and rural communities.

Australian Rural Education Awards

Australian Rural Education Awards (AREAs) have been awarded annually since 1994 to recognise excellence in rural education in Australia. Australian Rural Education Awards Categories Regional, Remote, Rural Partnership AwardDemonstrating a successful partnership for students outcomes in a RRR community of praxis Community Centric AwardRecognition of a person/project/organisation who have placed a RRR community at its’ […]

Wuyagiba Study Hub

Run by the Wuyagiba Bush Hub Aboriginal Corporation (WBHAC) in partnership with Macquarie University (in-kind support), Wuyagiba Study Hub (WSH) aims to provide Indigenous people from remote communities of Arnhem Land with the opportunity to access tertiary education and employment on-Country in a culturally supportive environment. We have developed two unique Micro-credentials with Macquarie University […]

HarvestEd Student Agricultural program

HarvestEd is a partnership between the Department of Education, Queensland Virtual STEM Academy and Asia Education Foundation to enhance the opportunity for rural and remote students to engage with the agricultural industry. The partnership brings together a cluster of schools with agricultural industry professionals in their local communities and around Australia with links to the […]

Skilling the Pilbara

In collaboration with Rio Tinto and university partners, the PUC has developed a tailored portfolio of higher education courses, delivered in a supported mixed mode to local Pilbara industry employees. The program currently supports 30 employees and includes two industry specific Graduate Certificate courses and a Diploma of Engineering Infrastructure (Rail). In October 2022, this […]

Menindee Central School & Uni Newcastle

Menindee Central School and the University of Newcastle School of Education have maintained a partnership dedicated to improving student outcomes at the school since 2005. Over the years, the school and community have received substantial media coverage of the many successes achieved along the way (awards and significant achievements have become common in several aspects […]

Edith Cowan & Greenbushes Primary School

Greenbushes Primary School is a picturesque small rural school catering to students from Kindergarten to Year 6; however, in 2019, it was at risk of closing due to small numbers. Knowing that lost classrooms equal lost communities, the local industry, school and community developed a Partnership Agreement. This partnership enabled the achievement of common goals […]

Quality Teaching Rounds Digital/ Teachers and Teaching Research Centre

Too often teachers in rural and remote areas miss out on opportunities for high-impact professional development. QTR Digital provides such access for teachers regardless of school size and distance from larger centres. Rigorous research has shown participation in face-to-face Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) enhances the quality of teaching, teacher morale and student achievement. Adapted specifically […]

Geraldton Universities Centre

Geraldton Universities Centre (GUC) is the original regional university centre (RUC). Commencing operations in 2002, GUC restructured in 2010 to a community-based model of governance committed to meeting the needs of the community. Providing opportunity for all and recruiting students to courses that would address local workforce need, GUC pioneered an innovative model of supplying […]

Discover Your Future

CUC Far West worked collaboratively with local youth to facilitate an interactive networking event, ‘Discover Your Future’ (DYF) in May 2022. Preceding the development of DYF, CUC Far West staff attended the ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Summit in 2021, where local youth presented a concept to increase youth access and exposure to local industries and […]