Democracy to what extent?

What can be done to encourage active democratic participation within the schools that will motivate students to be more democratically active within larger society?

I think that in order to get students motivated to get involved within larger society they need to be informed and taught how to do so at an earlier age. The earlier we start engaging children in making decisions and thinking for themselves the more will prepared them to do it as adults. As many people say that "practice makes perfect" many times as students get older they are reluctant to try things because they unfamiliar with such as becoming more been politically educated and involved. The only way in which we can do that is by re-structuring our government or representatives and ourselves to focus on the important issues. Lets ensure that the United states is govern by a true democracy that to advocate and protect the rights and interest of all its people instead of that ones that gives the elite and rich all the power to manipulate resources and services to cater their owns needs. Such as that of limiting minotities groups access to quality resources and education.
When Cornell West states in his reading "he believed deeply in the need for democratic intellectuals to exercises powers of persuasion, to take back the public attention from superficial and attention diversions and hold our officials to a higher standard" which i agree with that there' s been several times in which our attention has been diverted from true issues, for that i think that we must first hold ourselves accountable for letting it happen, only then we can address politicians failure to the American people

I don't know what might motivate other students, but what i can tell you that what motivates me to know that i have control and the ability to make my own decisions whether their right or wrong i can only blame or hold myself accountable for those decisions.