The Royal Gazette today launches its most ambitious fundraiser ever: a $1 million campaign in aid of Bermuda's at-risk youthThis newspaper has teamed with the New Beginnings Education Trust, run by Kerry Judd, to raise a million dollars over the next year to restore the Mirrors programme — and to provide grants for young people in need of an education.Mirrors provides personal transformation, particularly for those deemed “at-risk” — whether through academic failings, antisocial behaviour or difficult family backgrounds.Part of the reason for our campaign can be found in the latest statistics for the Mirrors programme, which show that of the 195 students who finished it, more than 80 percent have gone on to enrol in education or graduate.However, in the 2011/12 Budget, the programme's funding was cut by more than a third, to $1.7 million. The 2011 Mirrors November residential programme was deferred for a year.“A million-dollar campaign is beyond anything The Royal Gazette has tried before,” assistant editor Jeremy Deacon said. “But it's also one of the most important initiatives we could hope to partner with.“Mirrors helps people who need help the most. New Beginnings helps people who have completed personal development programmes like Mirrors to move ahead with their education. We felt it was a good time for The Royal Gazette to help the young people of our Island achieve personal success in every way possible.”Another goal of the New Beginnings $1 Million Campaign is to reinstate the Mirrors community programme for 19 to 24-year-old males.Explained Ms Judd: “We need that programme back because at that age, these are more mature individuals whose choice to participate is not as attached to a family member or through school. They're the ones that may be more entrenched in whatever life they have chosen but who really want something different for their lives. There's also a gap in this type of support available for young men in that age group.”She added: “The campaign will also help the New Beginnings Education Trust assist at-risk youth with their education goals. Young people often reconnect with their own education while involved in a programme like Mirrors. But to move forward, they may need help.“And realistically, if you're not an ‘A' or ‘B' student, or involved in a myriad of community volunteering, the money isn't there — especially if there have been challenges with your education journey.“We need money now. And it's possible to raise it. It's not a donation and it's not a hand out. It's an investment into the future stability of our country.”Ms Judd has volunteered for the Mirrors programme since its inception in 2007.With the success of Mirrors reflected by years of statistics tracking its graduates, she took last year's funding cut — the third for Mirrors in three years — as a call to arms.The Royal Gazette's New Beginnings $1 Million Campaign is a one-year drive to keep Mirrors going strong — and to ease the burden on young people who have connected again with their drive to get ahead by finishing their studies.The campaign will aid New Beginnings in helping young people finish their high school diplomas through a GED programme.It will assist with technical certifications or courses at the Bermuda College.Grants might even assist with education overseas once funding is in place, Ms Judd said.“Our decision to launch a year-long campaign was based on a few things: the current economic situation, the challenge of trying to raise funds in my spare time, the ongoing Mirrors budget cuts, and an ultimate desire to ensure that this programme, which the data shows is working for our community, stays in Bermuda,” Ms Judd said.“It's based on the growing need for funding for the education of at-risk youth — especially the completion of high school diplomas and GEDs. This campaign is my way of moving this forward more quickly.”She added: “When The Royal Gazette approached me, I was blown away and very grateful. I don't know if I could have got it going by myself. It was like the stars started to align.”This week, as part of our pledge of support, The Royal Gazette explores the history of the Mirrors programme, through the stories of the men and women who made it happen — and the volunteers and participants who have experienced the results for themselves.