Students and prisoners listened to encouragement from a motivational speaker invited to Bermuda as part of the Mirrors youth programme.Alfred Powell is a high school coach, author, motivator and a professor who has been visiting the Island for ten years in various capacities, according to a Government press release.He visited Sandys Secondary Middle School and Westgate Correctional Facility on Wednesday and the Co-Ed and Farm facilities on Thursday.“The intention of this visit is to reach out to different sectors of the community, to empower them to strive for greatness no matter what their situation or circumstances are and to encourage the community to reconnect and work together to reduce the violent trends occurring on the Island,” said the Government statement.Mr Powell said: “The work is challenging all over the world and Bermuda is no different. Violence is an issue that needs to be dealt with and we want our young people to get it. There are other ways to handle one’s anger and displeasures.”He added: “The world is waiting for them [the youth]. They are a very important part of our society.”Sandys Middle School principal Timothy Jackson, said: “The entire Sandys Secondary Middle School family thoroughly enjoyed Coach Powell’s presentation. [He] shared with us a few of his life experiences that taught him the importance of treating everyone with respect, as well as using humour and intellect to emphasise the importance of feeling good about yourself. Coach Powell spoke about many of the issues students in middle schools struggle with on a daily basis, including bullying, teasing, peer pressure and low self-esteem.”Mr Powell also visited Whitney Middle School and Berkeley Institute, and held a meeting with parents and coaches of the Mirrors programme. Over the weekend he worked with Mirrors participants and their coaches along with police officers.l For more information on the Mirrors programme, call 294-9291 or e-mail mirrors[AT]gov.bm.