Skip to main content
Students writing on notebooks in a lecture theatre while attending a high school outreach program
University_

High school outreach and access programs

Engaging with high schools and the wider community
Discover how we work with high school students in our partner schools to help build both awareness and preparedness for university.

Specifically designed for regional schools, our programs provide opportunities for students and teachers to experience our in-school and digital educational enrichment workshops. 

Schools can choose from a range of workshops for Year 10 - 12 students, focusing on HSC subject selection, effective study skills, exam preparation, writing persuasive scholarship applications, and creative problem-solving. 

Regional students are invited to attend a number of residential programs throughout the year that seek to provide an exciting and immersive on-campus experience to inspire and inform their transition into higher education. 

Students also have access to a range of digital resources designed to assist them in their senior years and beyond. 

Our programs

We acknowledge that there are complex factors informing regional students’ decision-making in transitioning to university. These factors may include costs, misinformation, under-developed consideration of degree options and admission pathways, being first in their family to go to university, and insecurity about relocating for university and leaving family and friends. WPO’s Regional Outreach Programs aim to demystify the university environment and shine a light on the options available at university in an attempt to mitigate some of these factors. 

We take our workshops on the road, visiting schools across regional NSW, so that students and school communities have first-hand contact with current University students and staff. These visits provide enrichment experiences and opportunities from city-based universities that are frequently inaccessible or unavailable to regional students due to their location.


To book a roadshow to your school, contact us.

Year 12 students can receive tutoring across a wide range of subjects from University students who are considered subject-matter experts.

This program provides students with additional academic support in the lead up to their HSC exams, as well as opportunties to learn about University life and pathways from current University students.

To learn more, contact us.

Across 4 weeks in July-August, teams of students from Years 10-11 participate in an online competition to develop an innovative solution to create social impact in their local communities. Through this program, students develop an insight into innovation methods used across industries, and gain insights into the University of Sydney culture and campus.

The Life at Sydney residential program offers Year 11 high school students from regional NSW and Greater Western Sydney an exciting and immersive on-campus experience, providing senior students an insight into life at University. 

Year 12 students are supported financially to visit the University of Sydney for a multi-day on-campus experience, including participating in academic workshops that will prepare them for university and attending consultations for Gadigal and MySydney admission.

Students considering taking a gap year before commencing their studies are encouraged to participate in a multi-episode series designed to provide students with everything they need to know about gap years.

An initiative of Widening Participation and Outreach, this program explores strategies and support structures available to assist regional students transition to higher education through:

  • reflecting on current practices and their impact on careers programs supporting regional students’ subject selection
  • engaging with research evidence regarding regional knowledges, literacies and curriculum
  • applying theory to plan for improvements to practice