Programmes

Public Achievement has a number of programme areas, all of which contribute to our mission - building democratic communities together.  This work is underpinned by our 'democratic civic practice' model, which is also known as 'civic youth work' when applied to work with young people.  The focus of this work is on doing practical work with people in their own communities around issues that are of public importance.  This can range from developing activities for young people in a community, to working to improve the relationship between teenagers and adults in the community, relationships with the police and other authorities or doing a clean-up of a part of the community.  The important aspects are that the work is done in a way which is public, and that those involved are supported to learn from their actions and the challenges they face.

Some examples of our programmes follow - and click on the links to find out more.  Check back regularly - as we have some exciting new programmes under development - and don't forget, there are always ways to support this work and to be involved.

Away from Violence

Although this is a new programme, it is based on the evaluation of our work over the past 5 years.  In working with young people in communities, schools, museums and other settings, we realised that no matter what problem young people wanted to address, more often than not this problem is related back to a wider issue - violence.  Again and again young people were telling us that they experience high levels of violence and fear in their everyday lives, and also that no-one appeared to be focusing on this as a problem.  This violence can manifest itself in dramatic ways in terms of bullying, self-harm and even suicide - but more often is a hidden and sometimes subtle influence on the lives of our younger citizens.  Thanks to funding from the International Fund for Ireland, the Department of Education, and more recently YouthNet, we have just embarked on an exciting 3 year project that will allow us to engage with over 1,000 young people across Northern Ireland.  Read on....

Youth Work in Contested Spaces

Since the beginnings of Public Achievement in Northern Ireland in 1999, we have had enquiries from organisations and groups working with young people in other conflicted and post-conflict societies around the world.  This led to a series of projects under the banner of 'Youth Work in Contested Spaces', involving young people, youth workers (accredited and otherwise), programme managers, researchers, policy makers and others.   In troubled societies around the world, people look to Northern Ireland for examples and leadership - and it has been our honour to play a key role in supporting courageous partners around the globe.  Read more here - including our latest plans...

WIMPS - Where Is My Public Servant?

WIMPS is the leading eParticipation tool run for and by young people on the net.  The site and project support young people to be more involved in the civic life of their communities, and to engage with polticians and others who are involved in important issues that impact on their lives.  The site has won multiple awards, and we are currently working on a number of exciting new developments...