Thirty-eight projects designed to improve educational opportunities of rural Queensland children were initiated in 1977 and funded through the Disadvantaged Schools Program; the program was renamed the Country Area Program and made a permanent School Commission program in 1982. The program resulted from a 1977-79 Schools Commission report suggesting that students in country areas may be disadvantaged compared to urban dwellers with respect to variety of available experiences and opportunities. The $2.34 million a year program, with full-time staff of approximately 60, services 244 schools and 36,000 students, and includes such projects as: itinerant teacher service, mobile manual arts, mobile classrooms, special education, mobile field study, instrumental music programs, opportunities for exceptional children, cultural activities, mini-buses and subsidized coaches, audiovisual maintenance, summer schools, speech therapy services, hydroponics, video recording/library services, microcomputers, and science series. Thirteen of the original pilot projects have been completed, including television programs, remedial/resource services, specialist recreation support, career information, regional newspaper development, teacher aides, updating school libraries, regional home economics and music centres, resource kits, manual arts by correspondence, and vocational reference centers. Revised in July 1983, profiles for each project (including those completed) list title, location, contact address, budget, type of project, personnel, purpose, background, operations, evaluation, and comments. (NEC)