Michael, I have not personal of experience of including students in a school.
I did run a series of participative events culminating in an Open Space, for the poorest community in Santiago, Chile, and it was held in a school building, and we got LOTS of young people to join in with the other members of the community. (also had a creche so the parents with smaller kids could easily join in). perhaps it helped holding the event in their own school and local community. perhaps you can enlist a small group of young people to do the 'marketing'/encouraging of others all the best Romy
