Student activities aligned to the SDGs
Our students don’t just spend their time in classes or completing assignments and exams, every student has the opportunity to enhance and individualise their experience through a wide range of additional activities.
We have a strong focus on engagement, social outreach and giving back to our many and diverse communities. Many of our courses incorporate local, national and global opportunities to voluntarily contribute to activities and social projects aligned to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And as a student volunteer, you will gain invaluable experience and change the way you view the world.
Students activities aligned to SDG's in 2021
Explore some of our student stories, partnerships and activities and see where our students have been volunteering and contributing to projects and initiatives aligned to the SDG's.
Salaam Baalak Trust
We continued our sponsorship of the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) in New Delhi India, which provides volunteering opportunities for CQUniversity students and scholarships for street and working children in New Delhi. CQUniversity staff and students are invited to join the CQUni Friendship Group, this group engages students and staff to contribute ways of assisting the SBT to continue its work and assist with fundraising activities.
Seven Women
CQUniversity through appointed social innovation ambassadors called “Change Champs” has partnered with Nepal-based social enterprise, Seven Women, for project collaboration and global study experiences. Seven Women has helped thousands of disadvantaged and disabled women through education, training, health and income generation programs (Page 43, 2020 Annual Report).
The Seven Women range is available through the Bookshop thanks to a collaboration with the Office of Social Innovation, and every purchase supports women in Nepal through education, training, health and income-generation programs.
Social Innovation Workshop
We hosted a three day Social Innovation workshop to design a central hub for the region, to engage young people and diverse community members with health services.
Share the Dignity Collection
Mackay and Rockhampton staff and students support this charity for adult women, teens and mothers by donating general and feminine hygiene products for women experiencing hardship. Share the Dignity is a women's charity in Australia that works to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence or those doing it tough by providing hygiene products to restore women's dignity.
SecondBite - Food Hunger Services
Free Foodbank services were established on campuses in 2020 and continued throughout 2021 to support international students who were financially impacted by the pandemic. This initiative was delivered in partnership with the food rescue charity, Second Bite.
CQUniversity Melbourne campus published a cookbook of staff and student recipes to raise funds for SecondBite to continue the much-needed services that the organisation provides.
Christmas Hamper Collection
Mackay staff and students participated in a 'reverse advent calendar' program where non-perishable food and goods were collected to create hampers. These hampers were donated to local charities to distribute to those in need.
CQUniversity Student Health Clinics
Our Student Health Clinics operate in Rockhampton, Mackay, and Brisbane. These clinics are a collaboration between health care practitioners and our students to deliver local health services in oral health, speech pathology, physiotherapy, podiatry and chiropractic services.
RUOK Day
CQUniversity Campuses across Australia participated in R U OK Day with various events on campus to promote engagement, togetherness and encourage open discussions about mental health by asking each other if they are ok.
Hands on Health Australia (HoHA)
A partnership with Hands on Health Australia (HoHA) and Mackay's student Chiropractic Clinic provided opportunities for clinical chiropractic students to gain experience by providing support and treatment to the elderly and homeless in Mackay.
10,000 Steps Program
CQUniversity leads the 10,000 Steps program to improve community health and wellbeing. It is a program that started in Rockhampton and is now a national community-based health initiative.
How to Change a Life Podcast
A new podcast from CQUniversity is helping guide listeners in transforming lives, as people with big dreams shares their stories of taking a life-changing plunge.
Nepal's Fishtail Hospital
CQUniversity Bachelor of Nursing students shadowed staff at Nepal's Fishtail Hospital exposing them to areas such as paediatrics, intensive care, medical and surgical, theatre, maternity, outpatient clinics, renal dialysis, accident and emergency, and medical imaging. They also provided health assessments and education to locals in rural villages.
Tarumbal Smiles
A project, funded by the Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future, led by CQUniversity's Melissa Plath, called Tarumbal Smiles involved exploration of a cavity-free future for children at a Central Queensland Kindergarten. Bachelor of Oral Health students provided treatment to the Kindergarten students.
GGC Volunteers LTD
CQUniversity Physiotherapy students, all funded under the Federal Government's New Colombo Plan, visited Vietnam and conducted clinics and therapy sessions within 10 different youth centres, charity clinics or schools.
Centre for Professional Development
Record numbers of students accessed CQUniversity short courses online as determined job-seekers and proactive employers make the most of their free time in the COVID-19 crisis. The Centre for Professional Development offers a variety of professional development and bespoke programs as micro-credentials, workshops and free resources across multiple disciplines. The CPD offers more than 250 short courses and micro-credentials, with options for both entry-level job-seekers and experienced professionals. CQUniversity also shared its expertise in online teaching, making its Converting On Campus to Online education course free for educators across Australia.
Advancing Young and Mature Women in STEM+C Education
WinTECH (Women in Technology) STEM club, consisting of staff and students at CQU, is committed to improving gender disparity in Science Technology, Engineering and Maths + Computing (STEM+C) education, and in doing so STEM+C workshops are hosted every year for young and mature women across the community. These workshops are conducted in response to bringing change in STEM education, making female students more interested and more confident in taking up STEM+C subjects as their career.
Women in STEM
With only one-quarter of students studying STEM in Australia being women, CQUniversity aims to inspire young women to pursue careers in science through programs and events including Whitsunday STEM Challenge and the 2021 CQU Qld Pedal Prix Super Series. Events such as these work to change society's gender assumptions about scientists and increase the public visibility of women in STEM.
Women in Innovation and Sustainability
CQUniversity's annual Festival of Change is an online and on campus event celebrating and inspiring social innovation. The 2021 launch event, Female Champions of Sustainability showcased a panel of female innovators and entrepreneurs and aimed to inspire other women to create change by sharing their experiences and achievements.
Festival of Change
The Festival of Change is CQUniversity’s free social innovation festival, designed to celebrate and inspire changemaking
Big Idea Charity - Social Innovation Projects
The Big Idea is a social enterprise design competition between students at participating universities. The Big Idea invites students to develop a concept and business plan for a social enterprise that might become the next ‘Big Issue’.
MackHack
Students engaged in the MackHack event which was a weekend-long event bringing together industry-leading experts to help solve internal business and broader industry-related challenges through a series of innovative workshops and interactive activities.
Whitsunday STEM Challenge
Supported by CQUniversity staff and students with STEM competitions including F1 in Schools and Junior Robotics. These challenges developed students' skills through STEM and provided them with the foundation to succeed at school and beyond. these activities engaged industry with innovation and engaged over 400 students from the local and surrounding regions.
Townsville First Lego League
CQUniversity Townsville hosted the First Lego League (FLL) Competition which saw 14 schools from across North Queensland participate. FLL inspires the next generation to embrace science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Social Innovation Studio
Our Social Innovation Studio hosted a three-day workshop where students volunteered to work with disability not-for-profit organisation MultiCap to workshop future employment prospects for their clients.
CQUniversity Performing Arts Initiatives
A theatre production involving Bachelor of Theatre and Bachelor of Music students and the Queensland Police Force. This collaboration has received recognition as a successful community engagement health promotion initiative.
- Choices – conveys personal safety messages to high school students about to celebrate leaving school. This project has been running since 1999.
- Safety Circus – conveys road safety and personal safety messages to year 3 school students. This product has been operating since 2012.
CQU Creates
The CQU Creates program encourages current and past students and staff of CQUniversity to submit visual art. This program encourages and inspires diverse contemporary art practise.
Margaret Worthington: Land, Air, Sea, Spirit - Art Exhibition
For more than 40 years Gladstone-based artist Margaret Worthington has captured the colour and vibrance of Australia’s land, sea and spirit through painting and sculpture, and next month her talents will shine in a new exhibition at CQUniversity’s Gladstone Marina campus. The ‘Margaret Worthington: Land, Air, Sand, Sea, Spirit. 40 years in Queensland’ exhibition was held at CQUniversity Gladstone Marina Campus throughout May-June 2021. The commemorative book is available from the CQUni Bookshop.
Unearthed
A free community event held in Mackay providing science-inspired fun. From fossils and digital dinosaurs to virtual realities, drones, and glow-in-the-dark art and interests for all ages.
Clean Up Australia
CQUniversity has ‘stepped up’ its commitment to a cleaner, healthier tomorrow by becoming the first university to join Clean Up Australia as a Platinum Business Supporter and we will be continuing our support to the organisation. 150 volunteers were involved in the 2021 Clean Up Australia Activities with more than one tonne of rubbish collected.
Caring for Oiled Wildlife Course
CMERC hosted a Caring for Oiled Wildlife Course by Incident Response Unit, Environmental Services & Regulation Division, Department of Environment and Science. CMERC staff, major Gladstone industries (including GPC) and community groups attended.
Girls STEM Camp
CQUniversity hosted over 40 female high school students from account the region and on Curtis Island, promoting courses and seagrass restoration research. CMERC researchers ran an activity with the Boyne Island Environmental Education Centre.
Oceanfest 2021
CMERC researchers represented CQUniversity at Oceanfest 2021 with displays about seagrass restorations and microplastics research activities.
World Science Festival Gladstone Community Day
CMERC researchers presented a “Surviving on Mars with Seaweed” segment at the CQU STEM area at the World Science Festival Gladstone Community Day, which saw 1756 visitors to the event.
World Science Festival Gladstone Student Day
CMERC researcher was one of three guest scientists to talk to over 880 school students and teachers at the World Science Festival Gladstone Student Day, about “Cool jobs”. The session also included the students visiting the CQU STEM Mission to Mars and Q&A with science celebrity Dr Karl.
2021 STEM Expo - Resource of Educators
CMERC Researchers and RHD Students held a stall at the event for Coastal and Marine Science. The STEM Expo is held annually for Gladstone STEM Educators & Community Members with an interest in Citizen Science.
2021 Ecofest
CMERC held a stand at the 2021 Ecofest demonstrating seagrass restoration and microplastic research. The event saw over 5000 people through the gates.
Fitzroy Basin Association - Ridgelands Landholder Support
CQUni students were able to gain practical experience by assisting Ridgelands landholders with Horticulture, Conservation and Land Management. Students built dams to prevent soil loss.
Community Seagrass Flower Harvest
Passionate citizen scientists have joined researchers from CQUniversity Australia’s Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC) to collect seagrass flowers in Gladstone Harbour, for the final harvest of the season.
Agri-tech Education
Agri-tech Education is a collection of projects aimed to showcase the scientific and digital skills required in the agricultural industry to upskill the current agricultural workforce and attract the next generation to work in the food and fibre production sector
RACE - Gippsland
Raising Aspirations in Careers and Education - Gippsland (RACE - Gippsland) will deliver a range of hands-on, interactive and engaging activities to primary and secondary students focused on building student capacity in STEM, digital technologies, agribusiness, manufacturing and food and fibre concepts.
Gladstone STEM Partnerships
The Queensland Chief Scientist, Professor High Possingham launched the new Queensland Government Partner-Up Queensland Regional Science & Innovation Network (The Network) which will be hosted at CQUniversity’s Gladstone Marina campus, with support from Inspiring Australia STEM hub network, the Gladstone Connects team, Gladstone Regional Council, Australia Pacific LNG, Rio Tinto, StartUp Gladstone, Boyne Island Environmental Education Centre and the University’s Coastal Marine Ecosystem Research Centre (CMERC).
Parasites in the Wild - Citizen Scientist Program
Passionate citizen scientists have joined researchers from CQUniversity to collect and identify ticks using field and laboratory equipment and easy-to-understand identification keys. Citizen Scientists will be able to get hands-on in the design and construction of laboratory and field equipment, including tick traps.
Student volunteering
Our students have local, national and global opportunities to voluntarily contribute to activities and initiatives that aligned to the SDGs. Explore our student volunteering activities from 2019 below.
Global opportunities
Due to the impacts of COVID-19, international student volunteering at CQUniversity has been paused pending the lifting of international travel restrictions.
- Nepal's Fishtail Hospital: CQUniversity Bachelor students shadowed staff at Nepal's Fishtail Hospital, exposing them to areas such as paediatrics, intensive care, medical and surgical, theatre, maternity, outpatient clinics, renal dialysis, accident and emergency, and medical imaging. They also provided health assessments and education to locals in rural villages. This program was put on hold during COVID, however, the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences is once again recruiting students to travel to Nepal in 2023.
- Malaysian Theatre Production: Performing the joint production of Chess The Musical by CQUniversity's Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music and the Bentley Music Academy of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
- Cambodian Children's Fund: CQUniversity Oral Health students provided dental services to impoverished children at schools during their trip to Cambodia. The project was run by the Cambodian Children's Fund and the People Improvement Organisation. This program was put on hold during COVID.
- Antipodeans Abroad: Thailand's Rachawadee disability centres welcomed 16 of CQUniversity's Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Exercise and Sports Science students. Students were able to work in multidisciplinary teams to work with residents who have a variety of significant physical disabilities and learning difficulties. This program was put on hold during COVID.
- Wild Medic Project: Nine CQUniversity Paramedic students and two lecturers travelled to Nepal to assist with priority screening at a remote health clinic (this program was put on hold during COVID).
Work-integrated learning opportunities
- Interchange is a virtual employability program that will introduce you to the world of entrepreneurship and innovation, whilst at the same time providing you with critical work experience for your resume and future job applications.
- Univative 2021 is a unique inter-university, interdisciplinary, inter-cultural student employability program where student teams devise innovative solutions for genuine problems posed by industries and communities.
- Hands on Health Australia - A partnership with Hands on Health Australia (HoHA) and Mackay's student Chiropractic Clinic provided opportunities for clinical chiropractic students to gain experience by providing support and treatment to the elderly and homeless in Mackay.
- Student Health Clinics - Our Student Health Clinics operate in Rockhampton, Mackay, Sydney and Brisbane. These clinics are a collaboration between health care practitioners and our students to deliver local health services in oral health, speech pathology, physiotherapy, podiatry and chiropractic services.
- Women in Agri-tech Project - This CQUniversity lead initiative creates and fosters a strong network of female teachers who will become leaders in digital literacy, STEM and entrepreneurship in regional, rural and remote areas. They will be guided by female researchers, professionals and entrepreneurs to develop engaging learning resources which will, in turn, inspire girls in the classroom to realise the opportunities available to them.
- Beach Day Out - CQUni physiotherapy students took part in Beach Day Out by assisting disabled children and pediatrics.
Outreach programs
At CQUniversity, we deliver educational outreach programs and activities such as lectures, demonstrations, presentations and displays. Many of these activities are driven by CQUni staff, and as a student, you may be involved in voluntary student-run initiatives during your time with us.
Explore the sample of the outreach activities undertaken in 2019 and 2020 below.
School outreach activities
- Widening Participation Strategy - CQUniversity has a widening participation strategy that aims to promote higher education to low socioeconomic, regional and remote, and indigenous school students and sees our CQUni Connect team partnering with schools to deliver programs outreach programs.
- Choices Program - CQUniversity students engage with police and community stakeholders in delivering a theatre production called Choices to year 12 high school students as part of the preparation for post year 12 celebrations.
- First Lego League - First Lego League Challenge is a competition catering to upper-primary and lower-secondary school students. Every year, teams of up to 10 students build, program and compete with a robot, while also learning about a modern problem in science and engineering and developing solutions for it.
- Safety Circus – conveys road safety and personal safety messages to year 3 school students. This product has been operating since 2012.
- PreQUIP - Year 10 Indigenous students attended CQUni as part of their career development to investigate potential career opportunities in the region.
- Queensland Virtual STEM Academy - Students from several schools were lucky enough to access seagrass meadows and coral rock pools to collect seagrass seeds, assisting with the research CMERC are currently undertaking as well as experiencing some hands-on STEM activities on the barge.
- RoboCup Junior Competition - CQUniversity was proud to support the next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) enthusiasts at the recent RoboCup Junior competition in Mackay. By exposing school-aged kids to STEM and giving them opportunities to explore its concepts, they will hopefully develop a passion for it and pursue a job in a related field.
- Townsville Campus Science Experience - CQUniversity Townsville played host to over a dozen high school students this week for the Townsville Campus Science Experience. Year 9 and 10 students from across the region travelled to attend the three-day event for the opportunity to explore a range of scientific fields, including Virtual Reality, Biodiversity and Data Analysis.
- CQ Conservatorium of Music Summer Spectacular - The interactive drama program saw Mackay secondary drama students work with guest director Dale Pengelly to hone their theatre skills in a one-week intensive workshop.
- CQ Junior Robotics Competition – Open to school students in years 4 – 12 within the Central Queensland region, CQUniversity hosts the CQ Junior Robotics Competition and it provides a fun environment for students to develop pivotal skills in problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking and teamwork.
- Educating Kids about Agriculture QLD - The Agri-Tech team travelled to North Queensland as part of the Kids to Farm project to increase primary school aged children's understanding of agriculture and its importance on Australia's way of life.
- RACE - Gippsland will deliver a range of hands-on, interactive, and engaging activities to primary and secondary students focused on raising aspirations in agriculture and building student capacity in STEM, digital technologies, agribusiness, manufacturing and food and fibre concepts.
Community outreach
- Project Booyah - CQUniversity is a training partner in Project Booyah which provides educational opportunities for at-risk young people. It is a partnership between CQUniversity and the Queensland Police Force
- Smith Family Learning for Life program – CQUniversity partners with The Smith Family to deliver the Learning for Life Program. The Smith Family is a charity that supports financially disadvantaged young people with assistance in maintaining their educational aspirations. The University is working with Rockhampton and Mackay Learning for Life staff to open up pathways to higher education for scholarship families, through information sessions and by supplying families with university program and scholarship information.
- Seagrass: Citizen Scientist Program - This initiative engages volunteer community members to collect seagrass flowers in Gladstone Harbour, for the final harvest of the season. This is part of the Sea Flowers: Growing Community Engagement for Seagrass Restoration Project and teaches volunteers how to work together to ensure the restoration of the vital flora.
- Parasites in the Wild - Citizen Scientist Program - Participants developed a project plan addressing a hypothesis through the scientific method. Participants collected and identified ticks using field and laboratory equipment and easy-to-understand identification keys. Citizen Scientists will be able to get hands-on in the design and construction of laboratory and field equipment, including tick traps.
- WinTECH Society - The Women in Technology (WinTECH) Society has developed free online workshops teaching students skills in data science using Excel and Python software. The workshops encourage students to choose STEM career paths.
- CQUniversity Gladstone’s STEM Central - It’s a state-of-the-art experience that takes science, technology, engineering and mathematics out of the classroom and into the real world, one of the highlights of STEM Central has been the diversity of people who use of the facility – from five-year-old children getting their first experience of flying a drone, primary and high school groups from right across the region, then Indigenous elders, and even senior citizens.
- Mission Australia Coffee Van Partnership - A hospitality training partnership between CQUniversity and Mission Australia will help provide valuable skills and employment opportunities to people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage in Cairns.
- Student Health Clinics - Our Student Health Clinics operate in Rockhampton, Mackay, Sydney, and Brisbane. These clinics are a collaboration between health care practitioners and our students to deliver local health services in oral health, speech pathology, physiotherapy, podiatry, and chiropractic services.
- Australian Defence Force Reservists - In the past year, several CQUniversity employees have been deployed with the ADF Reserves in response to the national bushfire crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. CQUniversity’s commitment to supporting staff to engage in such activity led to it being announced as the 2020 Defence Reserve Employer Support Award winner under the not-for-profit organisation category.
Global outreach activities
Studying abroad for a year, term or even just a couple of weeks is a very rewarding and educational experience. You will have opportunities to travel, make friends from around the world, enhance your employment prospects and possibly even learn another language. Above all, you will gain a fresh perspective on the world around you. We are all part of an increasingly globalised world and international study will give you a cultural awareness and life experience that will set you apart from your peers.
Due to the impact of Covid-19, the Global Outreach programs available for students at CQUniversity were interrupted in 2021 however students are excited to be able to restart these projects when available.
- GGC Volunteers LTD: Our Physiotherapy students, all funded under the Federal Government's New Colombo Plan, visited Vietnam and conducted clinics and therapy sessions within 10 different youth centres, charity clinics or schools.
- Nepal's Fishtail Hospital: CQUniversity Bachelor shadowed staff at Nepal's Fishtail Hospital. Exposing them to areas such as paediatrics, intensive care, medical and surgical, theatre, maternity, outpatient clinics, renal dialysis, accident and emergency, and medical imaging. They also provided health assessments and education to locals in rural villages.
- Malaysian Theatre Production: Performing the joint production of Chess The Musical by CQUniversity's Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music and the Bentley Music Academy of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
- Cambodian Children's Fund: CQUniversity Oral Health students provided dental services to impoverished children at schools during their trip to Cambodia. The project was run by the Cambodian Children's Fund and the People Improvement Organisation.
- Antipodeans Abroad: Thailand's Rachawadee disability centres recently welcomed 16 of CQUniversity's Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Exercise and Sports Science students. Students were able to work in multidisciplinary teams to work with residents who have a variety of significant physical disabilities and learning difficulties.
- Wild Medic Project: Nine CQUniversity Paramedic students and two lecturers travelled to Nepal to assist with priority screening at a remote health clinic.
Scholarships, mentoring, and targeted support
As a student at CQUniversity, you will find mentoring and scholarship opportunities available to you. These form part of our student support initiatives that help enhance your experience with us and your career opportunities when you graduate. Aligned to themes of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a sample of the scholarships available for students and researchers are listed below. View all scholarships available on our Scholarship page.
SDG 01: No Poverty
- CQUniCares GWI Scholarship
- CQUniCares Adam Scott Foundation Scholarship
- Iwasaki Tertiary Education Bursary Program
SDG 03: Good Health and Wellbeing
SDG 05: Gender Equality
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- Walter and Eliza Hall Trust Opportunity Scholarships for Students with a Physical Disability
- CQUniCares Adip Rijal Memorial Scholarship
- CQUniCares TechnologyOne Future Leaders Scholarship
- Dare to Be Deadly Scholarship
- CQUniCares Central Queensland Indigenous Development (CQID) Scholarship
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 14: Life Below Water
Student Mentor Program
The CQUni Student Mentor Program assists students in undergraduate and postgraduate courses to quickly feel at home at CQUniversity. Student Mentors have made it through at least their first year of study, acquiring a great deal of information along the way and making them the perfect guide to support fellow students.
CQ Regional Arts Service Network - Mentoring Programs
As host of the CQ Regional Arts Service Network, CQUniversity is providing a range of different mentoring opportunities, professional development workshop and have the opportunity to expand their professional reach and networks.
Qantas Future Pilot Program
CQUniversity Aviation students will have access to new pathways to the Qantas Group’s pilot training programs as part of a new partnership with the national carrier. Students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma of Aviation will be able to apply for the Qantas Group Future Pilot Program, offering the opportunity to be mentored by experienced pilots as well as access to career development support during their studies.
Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)
This program connects universities to the most disadvantaged high school kids in Australia and beyond. AIME brings the powerful and the powerless together under one simple equalising paradigm – mentoring.
Health Workforce Academy
The Health Workforce Academy offers education and training that aims to enhance the applied research capabilities of higher degree candidates. The academy is responsive to candidate needs by providing a platform to facilitate researchers, supervisors, mentors, national and international collaborators with health workforce expertise to share cutting-edge methodology, innovative research designs, pedagogy and theoretical conceptualization to advance the learning of our higher degree research candidates.
Engage Mentor Program
Supported by the Glencore Hail Creek Mine Community Development Fund, the program pairs CQUni School of Business and Law students with mentors from esteemed organisations including Hail Creek, Mackay Regional Council and Wisley Group. The program commenced in 2017 and continued throughout 2021.
