Press Release

Naropa University Takes Five Centaurus High School Students
To National Conference on Public Achievement

Student Team to Present Experience
Obtaining Licenses for Undocumented Workers

Naropa University Class Has Coached
Centaurus Students All Year

BOULDER, Colo. (April 15, 2005) -- Sponsored by Naropa University, five Centaurus High School students, two of their teachers, two Naropa student "coaches," two Naropa faculty members and Dr. Eric Fretz, director of the Community Studies Center at Naropa University, will attend a one-day national conference on Public Achievement, called the Public Work Celebration, at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.) on April 21, 2005. Throughout the past academic year (2004-05), 10 of these individuals have participated in a Naropa-driven Public Achievement project at Centaurus High designed to empower the high school students to identify issues of concern in their environment and create solutions. There are two Centaurus High School teams attending the conference. One team will be highlighted at the conference for their efforts related to obtaining drivers' licenses for undocumented workers. The other team has been working on creating a public space for breakdancing and incorporating this form of creative self-expression into school activities.

"The goal of the gathering is for Public Achievement student participants to meet others from across the country, share their work and learnings, develop public skills and see how their work connects to the larger world," said Dennis Donovan, international organizer for Public Achievement, a wide-reaching youth initiative that originated at the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the University of Minnesota.

The high school teams have done their public work as part of a Naropa University community learning course called "Democracy, Education and Social Change," which has focused on using Public Achievement to provide opportunities for Naropa University and Centaurus High School students to develop public skills so they can make a difference in the community. The students have met with each other regularly throughout the academic year to explore social, educational and environmental themes that directly impact their lives and determine how to create change where they believe it is needed.

This course is part of a concerted effort on the part of Naropa University to incorporate the Public Achievement model of public work and civic engagement into its undergraduate curriculum, through the university's Community Studies Center.

"Public Achievement provides a vehicle for Naropa University and Centaurus High students to engage in participatory democracy," said Dr. Eric Fretz, director of the Community Studies Center at Naropa University. "Through their experience of hands-on public work, both the high school students and their Naropa student coaches have been able to change the environment in a positive, goal-oriented way. As Centaurus students collaborate in problem solving and creating their future, they also acquire the skills to become active, effective citizens in the larger political arena, which is our ultimate goal."

The students will stay in the area for an additional day to visit St. Bernard's School in St. Paul, a K-12 Catholic institution where Public Achievement was first incorporated into the curriculum in 1991. In addition, Dr. Fretz will deliver a presentation on his Naropa University course in a meeting for Public Achievement instructors on April 20.

Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, non-profit, non-sectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education. Contemplative education is an approach to learning that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental studies, psychology, religious studies, and creation spirituality. It offers BA, BFA, MA, MFA, MDiv and MLA degrees, as well as professional development training and classes for the community. In addition, the university runs study abroad programs in Sikkim, India and Prague, Czech Republic.

Photo of Saul Williams available for download at:
http://www.naropa.edu/news/SaulWilliamsPhoto.html

Contact

Jane Rubinstein
Manager, Public Relations
Naropa University
PH 303-245-4643
FAX 303-245-4676
jrubinstein@naropa.edu

Dr. Eric Fretz
Director, Community Studies Center
Naropa University
303-245-4719
efretz@naropa.edu

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