In an era of increased standardization of education in the United States more students are becoming alienated and unsuccessful in their schooling experiences. In Democratic Education, this paper will address one potential solution to our nation's public education woes. Through the philosophy of Paulo Freire, Myles Horton, Diana Baumrind, and others combined with the working models of the Central Park East Secondary School, Big Picture Learning Network, Coalition of Essential schools, and New School (Kennebunk, ME), I will provide an answer to the following research question: In what ways could a democratic journalism curriculum foster a sense of empowerment, teamwork and responsibility in adjudicated youth, while meeting the academic benchmarks for humanities disciplines in the state of Oregon? Through a qualitative case study I will supply an answer to this question and, in so doing, highlight the work of the author and his colleagues at the Klahre House Alternative School in Hood River, OR.