Involve the parents, and the students will be involved also. A second way to encourage community involvement is through Partners in Excellence programs. Local businesses provide support for the school, financially and otherwise. Students know who their Partner in Excellence is, and express their appreciation through letters and small gifts. Another way to encourage involvement is through local field trips.
Students can visit businesses, planetariums, theaters, courthouses, and parks.
It gives them a chance to see students as individuals with varying interests, rather than a collective nuisance.