The online masterclasses were held as a pilot last year, with organisers expecting about 20 students to sign up to each of the eight sessions but they proved wildly popular with around 300 taking part in each class - approximately 3000 in total.

This year Earth Ed is running an expanded series of masterclasses, and has been running English masterclasses throughout the year with Federation University's Liam Frost-Camilleri.

Earth Ed leading teacher Patricia Dower said the masterclasses aimed to provide regional students the same opportunities as those in city areas who in normal years have an array of masterclasses open to them.

While focussed on regional students, last year students from city and regional schools across the state took part.

Ms Dower said the success of masterclasses in eight subjects last year prompted expansion of the program this year to cover even more subjects and include academic skills with the inclusion of English and all three maths subjects thanks to a partnership with the Maths Association of Victoria.

A VCE Music masterclass several weeks ago helped students prepare for their live performance assessments which have been held in recent weeks.

."Last year the Department of Education ... offered funding to provide enrichment programs for students," Ms Dower said.

"We thought there would be lots of organisations offering enrichment programs for high achieving kids, but we think anyone attempting VCE is high achieving and if we can help add a mark or two on to their score it will make a difference and improve their ATAR and options.

"That program runs until the end of 2022 and ... because of the success of 2020 we put in to expand and broaden the scope of what we offer."

Earth Ed will we run a maths masterclass next week, then classes in biology and environmental science on September 28, and human health and development and PE on September 30.

IN OTHER NEWS

Students who take part in the masterclasses live have an opportunity to interact with the presenter and ask questions, but the sessions are also recorded so students can listen back to them at any time and access all of the masterclass series on the Earth Ed website.

And it's not just students logging on to the classes. Ms Dower said teachers were tuning in as well.

"We get new teachers who are teaching an area for the first couple of years, they can listen to somebody who is expert and get something from the masterclass as well," she said.

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