Hildreth
1
I don’t like Public Achievement. I think it’s another way to indoctrinate kids and to trick
them into thinking they have a lot of power when, in fact, they don’t. Nothing about it is
revolutionary because even if the sessions themselves are radical, there’s no space for it
to extend past the sessions. It’s difficult to do radical work if you’re in the confines of a
classroom, especially a Roman Catholic classroom. There’s no support system for kids
to feel like they’re doing great things because PA ingrains in you the notion that if you
don’t complete a project, you have not done PA. I’m sorry, but I feel like PA was just a
big hindrance to our group.
So many rules! Yes, I realize that the rules and procedural issues were on St. Bernard’s
behalf, but what’s so democratic about working in a school that doesn’t promote
democratic values? This experience has really confirmed my belief that true democratic
action can only happen on the streets, not within mainstream institutions. Overall, I
really enjoyed being part of PA because of the relationships and the learning experiences
I extracted from it, but I wish PA would have really lived up to its philosophy.
Elaine, Democracy and Education Student
1
This quote is atypical, but instructive. It is atypical of opening quotes found in many
articles about civic engagement programs, which tend to be positive. It is atypical of other
students’ evaluations; many agreed with Elaine about the challenges of Public Achievement
(PA), but came to different conclusions about its theory and practice. And it is atypical of the
student. Elaine often commented in class, reflection sessions and interviews about the
challenges and difficulties she was having, but she always expressed a positive attitude towards
her work with young people. The quote is also instructive. It is instructive in showing that
Elaine learned through her experience. Elaine makes a convincing critical assessment of PA
based on a theoretical conception about the nature of “radical democratic” action. She arrived at
this idea of democratic action by placing her understanding of Public Achievement in
conversation with her own life experience. The quote also reveals the frustrations that come
when the excitement and promise of democratic action runs up against the realities of working in
specific institutional settings. It also makes glaringly apparent how I, the instructor, could have
been more attentive to this students’ particular struggles as well as better prepared the class for
the realities of working in schools. Finally, for faculty members that incorporate experiential or
Convention