Imagine this: You're a high school teacher in Papillion, Nebraska, population 18,000, who wants to fire up a bunch of teenagers about the 2008 presidential race. You mention the word "YouTube" -- the video sharing web site that draws young people in droves -- and the eyes of your American government students light up.
So here's what you give for homework: Make YouTube videos with questions for the presidential candidates to submit to the upcoming Republican debate.
And then, after YouTube founder Steve Grove takes note of your students' 38 video submissions, you find yourself invited to fly from frigid Papillion to sunny St. Petersburg, where you'll get to sit in the second row during the debate behind the Romneys and in front of the Huckabees.
That's what happened to Ray Keller.
"It's getting a new generation interested in politics,'' said Keller, who heads back home to Nebraska tomorrow to help coach the girls' varsity basketball game. Regardless of whether CNN picks one of his student's videos to air during the debate, Keller said, "It's been very rewarding."
Here's a sample:
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