Children and youth in American society are spending less and less meaningful time with friends, parents, and neighbors and more and more time before a computer screen or a television set. In the process they become alienated from other people, fail to develop social skills, and are at risk for problem behavior, including violence. Given the diminishing influence of the family as a learning center for social skills and values, the school and the community must become vehicles for children and youth to learn how to interact responsibly with one another; for example, the authors of this article have been involved in bringing a program (Resolving Conflict Creatively Program) to schools that teaches students how to resolve conflict through mediation and rational negotiation. Begun in New York City, the program now serves more than 325 schools nationwide in nine school systems in five States. A single program in a pocket of schools is not sufficient, however, to deal with the widespread problem confronting youth. What is needed is cooperation among the school and community institutions to create an environment in which children and youth learn how to think and act in a caring and socially responsible way toward one another and the community. This article suggests ways in which such a strategy of cooperation can be designed and implemented.