Northern Irish school's US election conference with partner school in California

"You join us," announced El Molino High's Politics teacher, John Grech, "at a moment of huge celebration".

Grech's words welcomed pupils from Londonderry's Magherafelt High School to a video conference with his students in Sonoma County, California the day Barack Obama won the US election. 
 
Magherafelt's Year 8s (aged 13 to 14) quizzed senior Politics students about the coming Obama presidency.

Londonderry students wanted to know about the impact Obama would have on US foreign policy, and race relations, what mistakes McCain had made, and how an Obama presidency would effect Northern Ireland.

"That was hard for them to answer," says Denver Charles, history teacher from Magherafelt High. "Our kids were wanting to know whether Obama would be one-sided in his view of Northern Ireland politics, but it was a tough question for the Californians, and we ended up explaining the situation to them. We expect he'll be pretty neutral."

With close to three quarters of Sonoma County voting for Obama, it isn't surprising that the young people who took part in the video conference were elated at the election result.

Back in Londonderry, Charles says the video conference made his pupils feel involved and connected to the story. 

"I think they felt part of the wave of change," Charles explains, "part of the process of change in the world, and in America." 

How did they do that?

The partnership between Magherafelt High School and El Molino School is facilitated by the British Council. The co-ordinating teachers Denver Charles and John Grech also took part in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange programme by swapping jobs for a term at each others schools. For further information about this scheme contact fulbright@britishcouncil.org

Read the World Class story about Magherafelt / El Molino discussion of the Clinton/Obama's contest for the democratic nomination.

Find out the latest about the US Election from BBC News.

Share the news weekdays with your partner school with BBC World News for Children.  Listen on BBC Radio 7, online at here World Class and via our new podcast service. 

Join BBC World Class and our partners will help you twin.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.