Six Bermudians are to visit the US to meet fellow professionals in an exchange scheme organised by the Island's US Consulate.

The Consulate introduced an International Visitors Leadership Programme to Bermuda in 2005 when it launched the Voluntary Visitor (VolVis) exchange programme.

It promotes visits by foreign nationals to the US where they can meet, learn from and share ideas with their professional counterparts.

The first exchange focused on youth development and in 2006 and 2007 the topics examined healthy families and healthy children. The fourth team will depart tomorrow for a nine-day tour of alternative education programmes in Pennsylvania.

They will visit schools including the Pennsylvania Department of Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth, Spring Grove Area School District, Manchester Academic Charter School, Manchester Craftsmen's Guild/Bidwell Training Center and the Heinz Endowments.

Acting permanent secretary of education Radell Tankard will head this year's team. Other team members include education officer Judith Bartley, middle school counsellor Cindy Smith, educational therapists Donna Woolridge and O'Brien Osborne and Brenton Burgess, head of guidance and student services at the Berkeley Institute.