A group of pre-schoolers in the Toxteth area of Liverpool are enjoying virtual journeys around the world thanks to the high-speed internet.

St John's Pre-School Group received an AOL Innovation in the Community Award in 2004 after nursery assistant Emily Taylor watched Aladdin and came up with the idea of a virtual magic carpet that could be used to educate and entertain the children. The group put its award towards a top-of-the-range computer, software, monitor, printer and a large rug - the "magic carpet".

Emily explains: "We wanted to get a new PC with broadband internet access so that if one of the children had a question about something we're talking about, they could go on to the computer to get the answer. Many of our children haven't travelled outside of our inner city area, so the computer gives them the opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures through online text, pictures and video clips. It has helped to open their minds and travel virtually to other places in the world that they could only have dreamt of otherwise."

Having a broadband connection has been crucial for St John's Pre-School. As Emily says: "Children have short attention spans, so broadband is key - they would simply lose interest if we had a normal dial-up connection and they were having to wait ages to download stuff."

The magic carpet has had a particularly positive influence on an autistic boy who attends the group. He brings in DVDs and plays computer games with other children, helping to develop his social and sensory skills.

In addition, many of the group's adult volunteers have been able to learn new IT skills.

Emily adds: "When the children arrive, the first thing they ask is 'Can we put the computer on?' They are coming on leaps and bounds and the four year olds, in particular, are really confident about using the internet now. It's absolutely wonderful, especially as many of them don't have a computer at home."