Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to research the following question through three case studies. Can the students participating in community development enhance their citizenship and does it lead to school improvement? Students, parents, teachers, and community residents organized the 'School Forum', the purpose of which was to discuss both school improvement and community development at three high schools: Nagano TATSUNO High School, Hokkaido BIEI High School, and Ibaragi OGAWA High School. In these School Forums, each of the students decided by themselves to engage in some volunteer activities. For example, TATSUNO High School students addressed garbage collection, researching some regional issues, and holding a symposium for community improvement. BIEI High School Students engaged in volunteer activities for cleaning up their town. OGAWA High School Students rallied to fix dangerous railway lines near their school. The students realized that both protecting their school and participating in the community shared a common interest, and these were issues that needed to be addressed. Overall, the students improved their sense of citizenship through communication with community residents and through community involvement.
