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INTRODUCTION

In Public Achievement teams composed of youth and an adult coach experiment with democratic action. How can we maximize the chances and opportunities for a successful, educational and enjoyable experience in Public Achievement? In the past eight years we have gained enough experience to make specific recommendations.

There are coach maxims, which if rightly understood become the basis for good coaching, but wrongly understood, become seeds of excuses for poor coaching.

  1. There is no one way to do Public Achievement.
    It is very true that flexibility, creativity and originality are essential. No two teams are exactly alike. Good coaches are continuously creating new ways to do Public Achievement. The seed of poor coaching however is to conclude that "anyting goes." In this view most training and curriculum is irrelevant to the realities of each team, an no one can really say what is and what is not Public Achievement.
  2. Kids Rule
    Since a PA team is supposed to be a democratic group, initiative and responsibility must replace coercion. The kids rather than the coach are ultimately responsible for the success of the group. A coach cannot make the achievement happen, it depends on the public - in our case, seventh and eighth grade students. But the seed of poor coaching is found in a belief that the coach is powerless and is in PA to just help the kids do what they want.

This manual is based on the two assertions to counter these myths.

  1. Public Achievement is definable and identifiable. There are certain key elements, standard practices and routines that must be followed to do Public Achievement. There is no one recipe for success but there are many ways not to do Public Achievement. The Green Book, PA website and other sources clearly identify key elements and ideas for good practice. Successful coaches will build creatively on this firm foundation.
  1. Coaches do have tremendous influence in PA. First and foremost they must self-rule. They can control their own behavior and actions. There are many variables that contribute to the quality of the experience, some are within the coaches' control and others are not. The school as setting and institution, the room assignments, issue topic, level of adolescent development, individual personalities, schedule, surprises and fortune are for the most part outside the influence of coaches. But a determined coach is a powerful constant amid all this uncertainty. The coach is the responsible adult in the group. It is important to establish clear expectations, act professionally, develop fun and educational routines, always use the key elements, and aim for a better understanding of democracy and citizenship.

A good beginning is essential and that is the focus of this manual. We can't tell you everything you will need to know all year. But we do give suggestions for the first meetings, other information and advice and some of our commonly used resource materials. We will be working together with additional material all year.

What is Public Achievement?

PA is an experiential civic education program based on the idea of citizenship as public work, Developed in the writings of Harry Boyte and others, the theory is constantly being adapted to local situations and re-created through practice.

According to the National PA website (

Public Achievement was created in 1990 as a variety of partnerships under the guidance of the Center for Democracy & Citizenship at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Today Public Achievement is a youth civic engagement initiative focused on the most basic concepts of citizenship, democracy and public work. Public Achievement draws on the talents and desires of ordinary people to build a better world and to create a different kind of politics.

Public Achievement is anchored on a few core ideas:

  1. Everybody can do citizen work.
  2. Citizenship isn’t easy.
  3. We learn by doing

Public Achievement was designed to give young people the opportunity to be producers and creators of their communities, not simply customers or clients. The initial goals were to integrate civic education into institutions that work with young people and test whether young people could have an impact on problems in their schools and neighborhoods in a serious way and define this work in political terms.

Public Achievement is now an international phenomenon. Civic educators have implemented PA in schools and community settings adapting to their local situation

In the U.S. A. / Throughout the world
Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota / Northern Ireland
Mankato Minnesota / Scotland
Northwest Missouri / Turkey
Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas / Palestine
Denver, Colorado / Israel
Boulder, Colorado / Poland
Milwaukee, Wisconsin / Balkans
Manchester and Keene, New Hampshire
South Florida

In the Mankato area Pubic Achievement is a partnership between Minnesota State University, Mankato and Dakota Meadows Middle School a public school in ISD #77. Public Achievement is a school elective in which middle school students learn citizenship by forming small democratic teams, coached by university students. The teams do real public work on problems or issues the young people have chosen. PA is also a university course, open to all students but is a required clinical experience for all students enrolled as Social Studies education majors. University students learn democracy and citizenship thorough their service PA coaches at Dakota Meadows Middle School.

A major objective is to get all participants to think critically about their roles in society.

Public Achievement has four goals for all participants:

  1. Motivation
  2. Empowerment
  3. Skill Development
  4. Understanding Democracy

See Mankato PA Website at

Public Achievement Who's Who

Many people work in different aspects of PA. Here are the roles and responsibilities in Mankato and Minnesota:

Teams: Teams are groups of 6-8 students and are tied together by one topic. These topics are one of their top three choices they themselves developed, nominated, and voted on during the early stages of PA. We usually have about 28 to 30 teams at Dakota Meadows.

Coaches: Coaches are college students enrolled at MSU in Pols 381/382. These students are usually in their 3rd or 4th year at MSU and typically studying to become social studies teachers at the secondary level. We usually have about 28 to 30 coaches.

Mentors: Mentors are former coaches who return to the program and help guide coaches throughout the year. They observe 3-5 teams and coaches each week and provide instant feedback to the coaches during debriefing sessions that immediately follow PA team meetings each week. They also meet weekly with MSU administration to discuss different aspects of the program. We usually have about five mentors in the fall and three in the spring.

My PA Mentor for Fall Semester

Name______

Phone Number: ______

Email:______

My PA Mentor for Spring Semester

Name______

Phone Number: ______

Email:______

PA Coordinator: The coordinator is a former coach and/or mentor who is responsible for organizing all aspects of the program. She or he oversees the preparations and actual meetings each week. As a liaison between the site (DMMS) and MSU, she or he work with administration at both schools to ensure the success of the program.

PA School Coordinator: Megan Karsten

Phone Number: ______

Email:

Teacher Liaisons: Teacher liaisons are on-site teachers at Dakota Meadows that can be used as a resource by teams during PA and DMMS students outside of PA. These teachers usually have either a strong background in PA or are social studies teachers. Because PA is open to both 7th and 8th Grade students, one teacher from each grade is designated as a liaison.

Your Teacher Liaison: ______

Classroom #______Phone #______

Email: ______

DMMS Administration: Consisting mainly of the Principal and Assistant Principal, these are the people who have much of the final say in projects and activities relating to Public Achievement.

Principal: Mr. Shane Baier .
Email: .
DMMS Phone #: (507) 387-5077 / Assistant Princ.: Mr.Aaron Miller .
Email: .
DMMS Phone #: (507) 387-5077

MSU Leadership: The MSU professor acts in the normal role of a professor, setting up the class, teaching, learning , motivating and evaluating. The professor also acts as the overall program Director. At other sites someone is the Coach Coordinator. In our program the professor plays this role as well: Coaching the coaches.

Center for Democracy and Citizenship: Our work is inspired by and coordinated with the international program leaders. The CDC is part of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. The Center also sponsors the PA Forum, an list-serve to exchange information, questions and stories.

Center for Democracy and Citizenship
301 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Tel: 612-625-0142
Fax: 612-625-3513
/ Dennis Donovan, National Organizer
612-624-5543

Danielle Peterson, Minnesota Organizer
612-624-0206
/ Elaine Eschenbacher, Programs Manager
612-625-5536

Public Achievement Forum
Post message:
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What it Means to Be a Coach
(Green book p. 47-52)

Coaches must mediate between two contradictory aspects of Public Achievement. On one hand, this is the team’s project; they decide what issue or problem they want to address, what project they want to do, and how they want it to develop. On the other hand, coaches are adults in charge of their groups, and they bear part of the responsibility for their success and failure. Therefore, coaches in Public Achievement are much like that of a sports coach—they provide guidance and encouragement, but cannot be on the field actually playing the sport.

Here are some characteristics of successful PA coaches:

  1. Be Prepared: Always have something for the team members to do. Think ahead, but be flexible. Come prepared with two agendas: One for if the team is on task, the other for if they are not. Both agendas could accomplish the same goals but be delivered differently. Flexibility is very important since the group should democratically determine the direction of their actions, and things may take an unexpected turn.
  2. Be Pro-active We have consistently found that the effective coaches take a pro-active role in their group’s work. It does not mean doing the work or dictating what the group will do; it means having your own vision for the group and constantly thinking of and implementing strategies. In certain instances, a coach will need to assert their authority; by being pro-active, a coach is ready to intervene at the right moments. By thinking three or four moves in advance, the coach can be ready to help solve internal problems of the group. In this area, the coach’s main role is to empower others to think and act as citizens.
  3. Be a Respected AdultThe coach is the adult authority in the group. Young students need limits and you must set boundaries. Limits will protect the whole team from domination by a few. Limits are needed to focus on public matters. Be protective of personal and private matters. Be consistent and firm if needed. Act, dress and conduct yourself in a professional manner. You can be likable and friendly while still expecting respectful treatment. You should not try to be their friend. You are not a teacher but you are the responsible adult accountable to the school and its policies.
  4. Be a Citizen Public Achievement is not just about getting the teams’ to consider themselves citizens, it is also about getting coaches think of themselves as citizens, as well. In this area, the coach’s main role is to empower others to think and act as citizens.
  5. Be a Political Educator & Learner Each person is an active participant in teaching and learning - it is not a one-way transfer of knowledge. Much of the learning in PA comes from doing and seizing upon "teachable moments." With the team’s weekly evaluation, it ensures accountability, role clarification, staying on task, and a time for people to learn from their successes and failures. It is always important for the coach to help the team make the connections between the lessons, skills and concepts learned, and the real world we are living in today.
  6. Be a Facilitator Facilitating is empowering young people to learn about political matters and act in public on their own. The coach’s job is to guide their group, help them set realistic goals, make thoughtful decisions, organize their work, and be prepared when they act in public. As a coach, one needs to be ready to redirect any negative energy by putting a positive spin on it and making the session still productive. As the year goes on, many coaches find their role changes from that of a coach to one of the team members.
  7. Be a Challenger Challenge the team members to bring out their civic best--establish and make explicit high, but realistic, expectations of respect, hard work, and excellence in Public Achievement. Encourage discussion and argument--ask students to respond to each other’s ideas through conversations, not argument.
  8. Create a Positive Work Environment Coaches are responsible for an orderly and productive environment. As the adult, a coach is the authority in the group and need to be prepared to exercise that authority to keep things in control. However, ideally, discipline should be enforced by your group as they will make their own rules. This is not always the case, but by working hard the first few weeks, it can and should quickly be the case.
  9. Ask the Right Questions By asking the right questions, the coach can be proactive, direct discussion and insure high standards for work without being pushy or overbearing. Questions are also crucial to making sure that issues and problems are researched and developed in a fair, comprehensive, and public manner.
  10. Be Accountable Just as team members are expected to be accountable for the work they do, coaches are responsible to and for their team. Team members rely on their coach for stability, commitment, and, most importantly, as positive role models. Coaches are also accountable to other coaches, Dakota Meadows, MSU, and Administration at both locations.
  11. Use Resources Do not feel like coaches are and should be going through tough or challenging times alone. If a coach needs ideas of how to work within their group’s dynamics, mentors and the Coordinator are great resources. Likewise, the Public Achievement Office has many books and manuals on how to do team-building and information on various topics. Also, if a team is in need of a chaperone or more participation in a project, talk to other coaches. Chances are the students in PA know each other and would love to help their friends while hanging out with them.
  12. Record and Share Your Experiences Not only do the Mankato Public Achievement binders have spaces for teams to record their meetings, but journal entries are excellent places for coaches to set goals and evaluate their personal growth throughout their Public Achievement experience.
  13. Have Fun Incorporate fun activities into the work by finding ways to make the work itself fun. Some teams celebrate each member’s birthday with a short break and treats. Many teams celebrate at the end of the year, whatever the case, take a break once in a while if just to smile and break the routine. Remember, enthusiasm is contagious. Celebrate!

Essentials for Coaches and Teams

These parts of Public Achievement that should be utilized at every meeting—beginning at the first meeting as a permanent group:

  1. Agenda Use a written agenda for each meeting to help keep the team on-task and focused. Initially, the coach will prepare this. Eventually, based on each end-of-meeting evaluation, the team should plan and prepare the next week's agenda; it should be reviewed at the beginning of the next week to remind the team of what they should be doing
  1. Written Record Effective and successful teams keep a record of what they planned, what they accomplished, and what they plan to do.. Use the role of recorder (note-taker) and build a written record to accomplish much more. By having a written record, you and your team will not forget certain ideas or have to continually start over. This will also help you when you evaluate, especially near the end of the year when you reflect on what you have accomplished and learned and attempt to define "success."
  1. Concepts Core democratic concepts should be a constant and normal feature of team meetings. Coaches should apply, identify, and name concepts to experiences and lessons as they happen. Challenge team members to recall, identify, and apply concepts, as well. Look for teachable moments all the time! If you incorporate concepts beginning with the first meeting they will be more easily accepted than if you try to add them later. Students often see talk about vocabulary or concepts as too academic and boring for Public Achievement meetings. This is an important learning component. Try to make it normal, practical and fun.
  1. Democratic Meetings Sit in a democratic fashion; normally in a circle. Aim for equal speaking and listening and watch for self-exclusion though posture or positioning. Make sure everyone is included! Do not allow individuals or cliques to dominate. Decide matters in a democratic fashion, by consensus or some agreed-on voting procedure.
  1. Evaluation Evaluation should be continuous. Every meeting should be debriefed and evaluated by the team. Evaluation should include all actions and steps along the way. This is what makes PA a "learning by doing" approach. Without evaluation, it is simply "doing." If evaluation becomes boring, find different and fun ways to do it so evaluation is still occurring.
  1. Roles Explain, name, and rotate roles such as facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, encourager, and others you and your team invent. Shared leadership is an essential element in a democratic group.
  1. Rules Each team should adopt its own rules. Some teams call them laws or go through a constitution-writing process. Discuss democracy and the role the rules play in sustaining the democracy. When considering consequences avoid silly and disruptive consequences (e.g. sing a song, stand on one leg for the next meeting). Follow the rule of "natural consequences: The consequence should be related to the problem behavior. As the adult in the group who represents the school, the coach is the ultimate authority. All school rules and policies apply and must be consistently enforced. Coaches can set their own rules and limits. Probably you won't think of everything at the beginning, and middle school students will test you and help you realize what things are out of bounds.
  2. Mission Statement Adopt a mission statement setting out the goals and purpose of your team. This may be revised as the team evolves. Teams eventually need to agree on a work plan or action steps.
  3. Team Name A team name helps give identity and cohesion to the group. It can be an early exercise in democracy. Names can be changed later. Remember that the team name should tell what the group is about. It can be fun but should explain the team's goal. Many teams create acronyms (W.H.A.T. or “We Help Animals Together” for an animal-rights team) or incorporate their interests into their name (“Champions for the Homeless” for a homelessness awareness team). Acronyms and names that do not relate to the group mission will not be used by Mankato PA and will confuse outsiders.
  4. Skills Think, talk about, and DO actions designed to develop both internal skills and external skills. Internal skills have to do with the ability to function and work democratically within a team. External skills have to do with actions taken to try to influence or interact with the world and power structure outside the group.
  1. Issue/Problem The issue is what motivates most students in PA. Spend the team’s time working on the issue or problem while incorporating democracy and concepts. Help your team to see the difference between issues and problems on the one hand, and projects on the other. As many coaches learn, some issues should be broadened and generalized so they can work on a larger problem.
  1. Research Once an issue or problem has been identified the team needs to engage in research to learn more. Internet searches are good but are only one limited way of gaining information. Surveys can be useful if the purpose is clear. Guest speakers and field-trips can be very valuable but are costly in preparation time. Don't neglect teachers and parents. Coaches should follow the news, especially local news, and be alert for information.
    Power-mapping or stake-holder-mapping, followed by interviews are an excellent way to learn about who else cares about students' concerns. Power-mapping is a technique used in PA where by teams brainstorm and draw a map listing other people or groups interested in their issue. Who may be helpful or difficult? What is their interest? Let's go find out. To be effective, power-mapping is not a one-shot activity. It involves pre-mapping as a kind of brainstorming. It should be followed up by interviews or research to learn who can help and what needs to be done. Re-mapping should be done to show what has been learned. Mapping is a way to plan research and develop your action plan. (See the Green Book p. 122-127.)
  1. Actions & Projects Public Achievement is a learning by doing approach to civic education. Thus it is essential that teams plan actions to address their issue or problem. All actions and projects must be approved by the school using the ACT form.
  1. Team Building ExercisesUsing games, exercises, and activities to break the ice, get acquainted, build a team spirit, rebuild fractured team unity, learn valuable lessons are some of the benefits of team builders. Team builders should be fun and always have a point. At the beginning of the year, it may just be to get to know others, but during the year, it may be to demonstrate a point or to refresh the team’s memory. At this age, the coach must always remember to debrief with the team builder to ensure everyone got something out of the exercise.

Core Concepts