Students gathered in Par-La-Ville Park yesterday to thank people who have changed their lives for the better, adults who volunteered to mentor them.

Yesterday was the third annual "Thank Your Mentor Day" organised by the Island's only school-based mentor program, YouthNet.

Currently there are 350 adult mentors on the Island. YouthNet is a school-based mentoring programme that matches adult volunteers with students. The mentors visit the students once a week, at the child's school, for a lunch hour. Some mentors also become involved in the student's life outside of school, taking them to occasional movies and dinners as well as attending sports activities and school concerts.

Denise Tucker has been mentoring 11-year-old Vondolla Santucci for three years. Vondolla attends Dellwood Middle School and thoroughly enjoys her lunch hours with Ms Tucker. When they get together they play netball and "just talk" with one another, she said.

"We also get together on weekends sometimes which is fun," Vondolla said.

Ms Tucker became a mentor when she was approached by YouthNet, and said she thought it was a good idea to give back to the community and help young people.

Another student told the crowd that his mentor is great to be around, but that their relationship is no walk in the park.

"My mentor is kind but firm," 12-year-old Lechun Smith said. "I keep her updated on my school work, the good and the bad. She helps me maintain my behaviour and I have a lot of fun with her."

Lechun's mentor is Clare Mello, the executive director of YouthNet. She visits Lechun at Dellwood Middle School every week and enjoys spending time with him.

"Mentoring transforms the lives of children," she said. "We have numerous examples of how mentoring encourages positive choices, promotes high self-esteem, supports academic achievement and introduces young people to new ideas and fresh perspectives."

School's involved in the mentor programme have responded positively, saying the programme is a resounding success. Sixty-one percent of students involved in the programme got better grades in school after they met their mentor.

Students spoke about how they have learned a lot from their mentors and enjoying having an adult to talk to who was not a teacher or family member. Many thanked Youth Net for introducing them to their mentor, saying they would have never met the person otherwise.

One tearful Berkeley student said she could not imagine her life without her mentor and hoped that they would continue to be friends when she was an adult

Acting Minister of Education Randolph Horton said Youth Net was a testament to the importance of the community getting behind students.

"The Ministry of Education and Development recognises? and it goes without saying ? that without organisations like Youth Net to rally forces , to challenge our young people, to inspire businesses and the like, our future as a community may very well be imperilled."

He thanked sponsors and mentors for getting involved in the programme.

Youth Net's founding sponsor Ernst & Young organised the park party.

E&Ymanaging partner Gil Tucker said many of the company's employees were mentors and Mr. Tucker said they gained skills which were beneficial in the work environment.

He encouraged companies and people to support Youth Net so it can meet its $1.5 million fund raising goal.