THE PRINCIPAL ROLE DEFINITION OF JUVENILES AS STUDENTS LIMITS THE WAYS BY WHICH THEY MAY EXPERIENCE THEMSELVES AS WORTHWILE AND RESPONSIBLE CONTRIBUTORS TO OTHER PERSONS AND THE COMMUNITY. GIVEN THE TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, IT IS ASSURED THAT A PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WILL BE LABELED FAILURES. THE RESULTING FRUSTRATION AND A SENSE OF FAILURE AND ALIENATION FROM AUTHORITY FIGURES FREQUENTLY LEADS TO ASSOCIATION WITH A DELINQUENT SUBCULTURE, WHERE ACCEPTANCE AND CONTRIBUTION IS BY OTHER MEANS THAN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. RATHER THAN FURTHER PUNISHING DELINQUENTS FOR THEIR FAILURES, THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, IN COOPERATION WITH A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATION ANALOGOUS TO THE YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU, SHOULD EXPAND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JUVENILES TO MAKE CONSTRUCTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY. THIS WOULD INVOLVE DEVISING WAYS FOR YOUTHS TO EXPERIENCE NEW KINDS OF WORK OR EDUCATIONAL ROLES, ROLES WHICH WOULD ALLOW THEM TO SIMULTANEOUSLY PARTICIPATE IN MEANINGFUL AND RESPONSIBLE WORK WHILE FURTHERING THEIR EDUCATIONAL SKILLS. EDUCATIONAL ACTION TEAMS ARE PROPOSED FOR ACCOMPLISHING THIS. THESE TEAMS, CONSISTING OF BOTH YOUTHS AND ADULTS, WOULD ORGANIZE AROUND COMMUNITY PROBLEMS, SUCH AS POLLUTION OR DRUG ABUSE. THE TEAMS WOULD OPERATE BY THESE GUIDELINES: (1) MEMBERSHIP LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF 10, (2) JUVENILES TO BE PAID FOR PARTICIPATION, (3) A TEACHER TO BE PART OF EACH TEAM AND SCHOOL CREDIT GIVEN FOR WORK DONE, (4) A MIX OF DELINQUENT AND NONDELINQUENT YOUTHS, (5) A SPECIFIC TASK ASSIGNED WHICH CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IN A FEW WEEKS, AND (6) INVOLVED ADULTS WILL CONTRIBUTE WITHOUT OVERPOWERING THE YOUTHS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)