In a move to forge an international relationship with Bermuda, Boys and Girls Club of America representative Kathy Adair came to the Island to pitch her concept.

Mrs. Adair, who met with Youth and Sport after school programme coordinator Keith Smith and officials from three of the Island's community centres last week, hopes to set up a similar programme in Bermuda.

And with the Sandys Youth Centre having recently opened, Mrs. Adair says she believes this would be the perfect opportunity to bring new ideas together by creating an alliance which would work for the benefit of the local children.

"This is a positive place for kids,'' she said.

In Walton County, Florida, where Mrs. Adair lives, there are five clubs which cater to 2,300 children. And there is estimated to be 2.1 million children nation wide involved with the clubs.

"A big part of the reason I came to the Island was to find people who were interested in starting programmes like this,'' she said. "Often people start shying away from the youth. You have to get to the youth.'' The Boys and Girls Club gives children the opportunity to expand their learning. For example, children learn about drugs by having other children teaching about drugs.

A drug prevention and education programme in the Club, called Smart Moves, is taught entirely by young members.

This programme has received positive response from parents, Mrs. Adair noted.

A lot of the children come from single-parent homes, and many are under privileged and minorities,'' she said.

"By being in this positive environment the kids are able to develop self esteem. It gives the children the opportunity to do what they might not otherwise do and also take them to places which they might not otherwise go.'' Mrs. Adair stressed that children are in need of encouragement which will lead to them setting goals in life.

She is hoping to start a programme which encourages children to pursue their goals. This will work by exposing the children to people who are in the field that they are interested in studying.

"With this the kid gets the idea that `I can create a job' and from there their self-esteem will really give them confidence,'' she said.

Mrs. Adair has taken maps and books from the Island back to the US in order to show the children there is a bigger world out there.