Elementary students at P.S. 256 took a lesson in civics and the electoral college Friday when they voted on a class president.

Students at the Bedford-Stuyvesant school gathered in the auditorium, and 50 students, one for each state, took to the stage to announce which candidate had received the most electoral votes.

Teachers said the point is not only to educate students on the importance of voting and the election process, but also to teach them life skills.

"It's more than just politics, it's about life," said Barbara Johnson, a school counselor. "It's about teaching the children how to handle themselves. Going up on the stage is a big thing, public speaking. How to get up there and speak, and talk about how many electoral votes. They make the mistakes here, it's OK. Little by little, they'll do it in real life."