Five Bermudians are being sent overseas next week as America and Bermuda join forces to focus on young people.

The American Consulate announced yesterday that, for the first time, Bermudians have been enabled to participate in the US State Department?s International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP). The IVLP is a formal exchange programme that supports visits by foreign nationals to the US, where they can meet, learn from and share ideas with their professional counterparts. In place since the 1940s, the programme has been utilised by leaders such as German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and President Ricardo Lagos of Chile.

The American Consulate handpicked the five Bermudians, all leaders and role models for Bermuda?s young people, who will be sent to various cities all over the US. The team includes Dr. Derrick Binns, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Community Affairs and Sport, along with Keith Smith, the Ministry?s coordinator of youth programmes. Other participants will be Chief Inspector Michael Jackman from the Bermuda Police Service, who is attending as the Police attempt to rejuvenate their Junior Cadets programme; Commission for Unity and Racial Equality (CURE) Education Officer Shan? Simon, and founder of De Boys Day Out Club Milton Richardson.

The participants will begin the ten-day journey on April 17 as a group, visiting Washington and Boston before dispersing to various other cities where they can meet and network with other groups and leaders in programmes geared to their specific interests.

With plane tickets donated by Continental Airlines, Aon, and one other anonymous donor, and the trip itself paid for by the US State Department, the opportunity seemed unbeatable to Premier Alex Scott and his colleagues yesterday.

Acting American Consulate Dr. Antoinette Baker said at a luncheon introducing the participants yesterday that the US and Bermuda are battling many of the same social problems with their youth, while Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Dale Butler said the project fit perfectly with three of the four National Youth Strategy targets: developing leaders, reinforcing the family, and working to strengthen helping agencies.

Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith also expressed his excitement that the Police Service has been made a participant in the initiative, while Dr. Binns hoped the experience would provide the participants ?with an arsenal of techniques? in their particular areas of focus.