Some of Bermuda's young leaders were acknowledged for their achievements yesterday at the Proclamation of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month.

Teen Services, which is primarily a teen counselling service and deals with many pregnant young girls, presented a number of young men and women with certificates, badges and plaques for a variety of outstanding efforts during the past year.

A number of those teenagers, chosen from across secondary schools on the Island, who gathered at City Hall were winners of the 2002 Outstanding Teen Awards for various achievements, from community service to sport, and from leadership to academics.

The competition recognised all kinds of excellence and all students were nominated by their school, church or organisation. The nominated candidates were interviewed by teams of young people, each accompanied by an adult, so the winners were ultimately chosen by their peers.

But each of the six senior schools on the Island were represented in the winning teens.

Coordinator of the Outstanding Teen Awards annual competition Gerry Perinchief, who shares the responsibility with Michelle Raynor, said she was pleased to see every school had been represented this year.

Outstanding student overall this year is Jennah Robinson, from Saltus Grammar.

She said: "This is about recognising those teens who do achieve, as there is always so many negative things said about those who don't achieve.

"It's a big boost to our young people. They really do deserve to be recognised. These awards include both private and public schools, and a number of religions. There are no barriers. Bermuda has a number of great leaders for the future."

And, as part of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, Teen Services organised poetry, essay and poster competitions in the middle and secondary schools.

The six winners were presented with certificates yesterday, and Bermuda High School was named as the winner of the commercial contest.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month aims to educate young people about the dangers of promiscuous, unsafe sex, and to make everyone in Bermuda more aware of the growing problem of teenage pregnancy and venereal diseases in teens.