Students working for charities will help support their schools by taking part in the Dollars For Hours Programme.

Eight of the Island's schools will be given $30,000 by PartnerRe for volunteer work with local charities and organisations such as the Bermuda Zoological Society, Keep Bermuda Beautiful, WindReach, and Bermuda Cancer and Health.

Each school will adopt a different charity project, putting in 12 to 24 hours of work.

PartnerRe CEO Patrick Theile said that including this year, the programme will have given $800,000 to the Island's schools

"As a Bermudian company, of which 71 percent of our staff are Bermudian, we have a sincere interest in Bermuda, its youth and the future of our Island," said Mr. Theile.

"Through our Dollars For Hours initiative, we aim to encourage students to provide grassroots support to our local charities while also contributing financially towards the improvement of their educational experience."

Along with donating funds to the schools involved in the programme, PartnerRe said it would also cover the costs of materials used in the projects, which include building bluebird boxes and a marine cleanup at the Walsingham Nature Reserve, and organise a showcase for the students to share their charity experiences.