Chesterfield County teens are finding the time to put down their cell phones, pause the music on their iPods, bypass the video game controllers and even log off of their laptops long enough to get out the vote.

Nationally, youth are showing hyped-up interest in this year's presidential election, and the same thing is happening here, with teachers proving to be strong role models for inspiring young people to get involved.

"I've gotten more than 400 students registered to vote since September while strongly urging my students to become active participants in the political process," says Barbara Winston, a government teacher at Meadowbrook High School.

Winston's classroom is filled with voter registration forms where she and her colleagues frequently help students step-by-step through the process.

"This generation is a generation that is waiting for someone to turn on the light bulb of activism," said Winston, whose favorite sayings are "If it's to be, it's up to me" and "Each one, teach one."

With more than 25 years of experience teaching in Chesterfield, Winston remains dedicated to her students this year despite having lost both of her parents in the past five months, and her students appreciate her dedication.

Linda Dakand, a senior in Winston's class, said, "I really admire her, and she is one of my role models. She is very motivational and is interested in your life, not just in the classroom."

Through a leadership project assigned by Winston, Dakand partnered with fellow senior Maab Ibrahim to encourage their peers to vote by setting up a registration table they called "Choose or Lose" during lunch in the cafeteria.

"I'm very passionate about young people getting involved in the political process," said Ibrahim, who is applying to Harvard University with Winston's support.

Monacan High School government teacher Laura Dewell also goes above and beyond to get her students registered to vote. She gives students extra credit upon receiving their voter registration card.

"I even had quite a few who were 17 register so that they could vote in the primary," says Dewell.

Delroy Walker, a Monacan student in Dewell's class, commented, "In the beginning it was my teacher who got me involved, but then I decided to follow the candidates by reading the paper every day online, listening to NPR and watching the debates. [In Ms. Dewell's class,] we learn how government works, why we need politicians, and why we need to talk about these things. Our class is more debate-focused this year because it's an election year, and that makes it more interesting."