YouthNet launched its third annual recruitment campaign last month by spreading the word about the organisation during rush hour traffic along East Broadway.

And the effort paid off ? to date the organisation has successfully recruited 33 new mentors and needs just 17 more to reach its goal of 50 new mentors this year.

Executive director Clare Mello said YouthNet is currently serving over 300 students in 14 schools across the Island.

Ms Mello said the single greatest indicator of success for a child is the presence of an empowering adult in their lives.

?With the public?s help, we can mentor more children and achieve our goals of improving attendance, attitudes about school, social and educational development and most importantly, self-esteem and motivation in our young people,? she said.

YouthNet?s goals is to ?grow the programme? by 100 relationships a year.

Recruitment strategies include the popular East Broadway campaign, corporate lunch and learn presentations, radio advertising, print media and the group?s website.

This year YouthNet will focus on highlighting the variety of mentoring opportunities available.

?Through diversifying the types of mentoring we offer, not only can we serve more children but we can appeal to a broader range of people,? she said.

YouthNet also runs a parallel programme ? PeerNet, a peer mentoring service ? which is proving very popular.

?In this programme, senior school students from across the Island mentor primary and middle school students in their own environment ? and outside of their environment,? Ms Mello said.

In 2004, the programme?s first year, 99 students participated but this year YouthNet hopes to grow the PeerNet programme to 150 peer mentors.

For more information on these programmes contact YouthNet at 294-5602.