The pupils from such as the East Tamar, Exeter, Invermay and Deloraine gathered inside the Sir Raymond Ferrall Centre at the University of Tasmania's Newnham Campus to celebrate a year of hard work.

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The program, created for children aged from seven to 14, was first introduced across the UK in 2011, before making its way to Adelaide, and finally crossing the Bass Strait in 2015, under the guidance of the Peter Underwood Centre.

Since then, more than 40 of the state's schools have grown to see the benefit of encouraging and celebrating a diverse range of extra-curricular learning experiences in and outside of school.

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Invermay Primary principal Tony Brazendale introduced six of his students to the program in 2016. That number rose to 32 this year.

"The value of the program is that it shows our young people that learning doesn't stop, and that university is for everyone," he said.

Invermay grade 6 pupil Ashton Semmens, who is an aspiring journalist, said this year was the fourth time he had participated in the program.

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"The best part of it is meeting new people and going to cool places," he said.

Peter Underwood Centre director, Professor Natalie Brown, said a longitudinal study was being conducted to understand the short and long term academic effects the program was having on participants.

"We know that it improves the children's attendance at school and their confidence in learning," she said.

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