This is a proposal to improve elementary and secondary education programs for students by increasing the extent of their involvement in their respective communities. It is also a set of recommendations on how to make such educational field experiences a central aspect of the curriculum in order to obtain maximum benefit from such involvement in the community. The proposal is designed to encourage school district administrators and teachers to offer practical programs carefully planned to use community resources effectively. It is not a suggestion for schools to increase the frequency of the typical unplanned field trip. Inherent in this proposal is the belief that the common perceptions of educators as to what constitutes a relevant education for young people today need re-examination. It is the position of this proposal that such a process of re-examination dictates the need for a major reconstruction of the teaching-learning process and the relationship between the school and the community. The educational field experiences suggested for students in this proposal are not to be viewed as "add-ons" to the existing instructional program, but rather, as experiences, to be made the foundation of as much of the school program as possible. (Author)