Manheim Central High School in Pennsylvania, USA are taking part in the Obamarama.

They are twinned with Prince Henry’s Grammar School, the hub school for the Obamarama.

Read "Obamaramas" from some Manheim students:

Justin, 17

Where would you take Barak Obama in your school or community? Why?

I would take Barack Obama to the Hope Fire Station, not only because the name references a driving quality of the American people toward greatness, but also because of the firehouse’s role in the community. As a tangible contribution to the community, fire-fighters save lives on a regular basis. More abstractly, the mixture of employee and volunteer fire-fighters of all ages pulled people together in the country’s time of need, fighting to restore peace at ground zero in New York City, 2001, and in communities from coast to coast.

What would you give him to remember you by?

I would give him a personally recorded reading of the book Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This book, besides being an all time favourite of mine, teaches a great lesson of not giving up even when you think it’s over. It is a great story of determination that reflects and represents our school and community nicely. In addition, I would record it because, as the President Elect, he is definitely very busy and may not have time to read it himself.

Megan, 17

What would you tell Barak Obama is special about your school?

As a small town located in central Pennsylvania in Amish country, Manheim, [is] an extremely conservative republican town - I would have reservations that Barack Obama may not be welcomed warmly. But, many Manheim students would enjoy him coming.

Manheim Central is a unique school, for positive reasons, and not so positive reasons.  It is your typical small town school where everyone knows everyone.  For the most part, teachers really take the time to get to know their students and are willing to help them if they are having trouble in a class. 

However, as much as being a small school is beneficial, it also can be hurtful to the learning process.  The town that we happen to live in is extremely close-minded.  For that reason, it is hard to express your own opinions and views to your peers.  We are encouraged to speak our mind but when we go against the normal, we are looked at as if we are disrespectful or rude. 

If the events occurring in our nation, or even world, do not directly affect us, we do not take the time to discuss it.  We stick to what we know and what is comfortable to us. 

Jordan, 16

Who would you take Barak Obama to meet in your school or community? Why?

While Mr. Obama is with me I would love to have him meet the Amish family that lives next to me. The Amish are truly fascinating people. They live with the bare minimum, and yet they still live happy lives. They don't need cars, televisions, or electric to have a content life. Without these things they have more time to spend on meaningful things such as family. For the Amish, family and community come first. For many Americans the respect for family has gone down the drain.


What would you want him to change in your school or community? Why?

If there would be one thing that I would urge Mr. Barack Obama to change in Manheim is building. Lancaster is known for its fertile soil. I would love if Barack Obama could restrict building in Manheim, and conserve the fertile land for farming. Another thing I would ask Barack Obama to change is the amount of money schools are funded. More funding so students could learn at a higher rate through alternative methods. This would lead to higher test scores, which would help kids with their future.

Cory, 15

Which lesson would you invite Barack Obama to sit in on? Why?

If the President-elect were to sit in on one of my lessons, I would like him to attend one of the seminars in our gifted program. The instruction we receive here reaches out much farther than that of the typical classroom, and it would be nice for him to see the importance these programs have for students involved in this program.

Where would you take him in your school or community? Why?
A place that I would like to take President-elect Obama in my community would be our new Middle School. Education is the cornerstone of every American’s future, and this recent addition to our district helps students prepare even more for their futures by implementing brand new 21^st century learning tools. Equipment such as computers, projectors, interactive whiteboards, and many other technologies are used daily in this building, and due to their success, we are now getting these in our high school.

Alexis, 18

Which lesson would you invite Barack Obama to sit in on? Why?

Even in such a small town, an eclectic mix of students roams the halls. If you follow the all of the kids with multi-colored hair and multiple piercings, you might eventually stumble upon one of the school’s more eccentric features: the art department. Neither the department, nor its students, are stereotypical. The critiques following the completion of projects are especially eye-opening because of the different views that are presented. It is this diversity and acceptance of honest assessment that I believe is needed to solve the bigger issues of today.

What would you give him to remember you by?

I would present him with a hand sewn Amish quilt, since a quilt is a rather fitting token from Lancaster. Not only is it something beautiful and specific to this area, but it is also made of many small, interconnected squares; just like I hope America could potentially become.

How did they do that? 

Manheim Central High School in Pennsylvania, USA have a partnership with Prince Henry’s Grammar School.

Their partnership began when the Art teacher from Manheim came to Prince Henry's on a Fulbright scholarship two years ago.  Since then, he has taken over the role of developing international links in the Manheim, thus enabling the schools to maintain their close relationship.

The two schools are just beginning to develop curriculum links.

They have also recently discovered that they both use  the online community Rafi.ki, so are planning possible projects using that medium. 

Join the Obamarama!  In association with BBC World Class, Prince Henry’s is the hub of the Obamarama. To find out more about Obamarama, click here.

To find out more about Prince Henry’s Grammar School, click here.

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