Schools may be able to play a particular role in instilling a strong American identity in young people. They can do this by actively practicing democratic community within the school. This practice of democratic community is key to the development of an individual identity that prioritizes the interdependent relationship between individual and community. James Youniss and Jacques Benninga (along with myself) are introduced as authors who will draw specific attention to the roles of participation and community in schools, as they become places where young people both learn about and practice democracy.