TWO pupils from the Berkeley Institute are to visit the White House this month as part of an educational programme open to the world's best and brightest high school students.

The week-long trip, made possible through a donation from Sandys Rotary Club, will afford teenagers Kara Simmons and Bruce Swan the opportunity to mingle with Washington insiders ? Members of Congress, presidential appointees, senior military officials, top business leaders and journalists ? as part of Presidential Classroom 2004.

Berkeley Institute guidance counsellor Arleen Swan said the school submitted Miss Simmons' name for consideration based on her many achievements. To be accepted into the programme, students must rank in the top 25 per cent of their class, and show commitment to community or school involvement through participation in extracurricular activities.

"Presidential classroom is for students who are what we call academic achievers; they have to have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of three or over," the guidance counsellor explained. "Kara meets that criterion.

"And as far as Bermuda was concerned, we just felt it was important for our students to be involved in programmes like the one she will be participating in, the Future World Leaders Summit. We really must thank the Rotary. They were very receptive when we approached them and made the presentation. They were ready to jump up and write cheques there and then."

Established in 1968, the Presidential Classroom is today America's premier non-profit, non-partisan, civic education programme. Organised into 15 one-week courses, it has provided more than 100,000 students with unprecedented access to the federal government and leaders who shape public policy.

The Future World Leaders Summit, the course in which the two Berkeley students will participate, brought together teenagers from more than 50 countries around the world in 2003 to "explore international relations, diplomacy and the changing world economy", according to a programme brochure.

The students will spend between March 20 and 27 participating in various events including seminars at the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank, the Organisation of American States, the National Defence University, the US Department of State, and the Floor of the US House of Representatives.

Miss Simmons, 16, said she hoped the experience would broaden her knowledge of politics.

"I had heard of things like this, but not the Presidential classroom," she said. "I hope to get a better understanding of what other countries are doing politically ? how they're running their countries and how it might be able to help us here."

Sandys Rotary president Barry Shailer said that his club and the Presidential Classroom had something in common ? each was just as interested in positive youth development.

"Sandys Rotary is delighted to be able to assist these bright young students to benefit from what will be a broadening experience involving international relations, diplomacy and the changing world economy.

"Rotary, particularly, is focused on youth of Bermuda. There's a number of programmes that we have underway ? for example, we support the International youth exchange programme and this year we're hoping to send 15 Bermudians overseas for a year to schools overseas ? so we're particularly interested in broadening the experience of young persons in Bermuda."

Ms Swan said the students would join others from around the world including Germany, Norway, Africa, France and the United States and that the programme chairperson was delighted to be able to include Bermuda in the list of countries.

"(As part of) the Presidential classroom, they have classes in the White House with some of the leading political people there," she added. "They actually teach them about politics ? how to be diplomats, what's involved in coming to some resolution about famine or pollution in the world.

"This is the first year schools in Bermuda are participating. I understand that one of Saltus' students is going and we're the only other school. Really, I think it's a great step for our students; a real feather in our cap."