The U.S. Public Service Academy will be an undergraduate institution devoted to developing civilian leaders for the public sector. Modeled on the military academies, the Academy will offer four years of tuition-free education in exchange for five years of civilian service following graduation. Its mission will be to educate, develop, and inspire civilian leaders who have the character, intellect, and experience necessary to serve the nation honorably and effectively, and who are committed to devoting their lives to public service.

The initiative to build the Academy was launched by two Teach For America alumni in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when the American people witnessed serious failures of public leadership at all levels of government. Since it was established in early 2006, the Academy has made tremendous progress.

  • We have built an advisory board of more than 50 experts in public policy, education, the military, business, and non-profit. To help us draft our Blueprint, we created a Blueprint Advisory Board with more than five dozen experts in higher education, the military, and government.
  • In the 110th Congress, we had identical bipartisan bills before the Senate (S. 960) and the House (HR 1671), with 24 senators and 123 representatives signed on as co-sponsors. Many members of the Obama administration — including Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Rahm Emanuel, and Tom Daschle — are supporters of the Academy.
  • The Academy has earned endorsements from prominent individuals such as Madeleine Albright, Mike Huckabee, and Sandra Day O’Connor; several dozen well-respected organizations such as America’s Promise, City Year, and Youth Service America; and more than 70 college presidents, including three former superintendents of West Point.

We invite you to learn more about how the U.S. Public Service Academy will meet the changing needs of America’s public institutions during the twenty-first century.