Background: The Office of Educational Partnerships began as the Office of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Programs and was created by the Honorable William Patrick Clark, Secretary of the Interior, in 1983 to implement Executive Order 12320, which called for gaining greater participation of HBCU in federally sponsored programs.
In 1988, the Office of HBCU Programs was consolidated with the Office of Youth Programs, thereby creating the Office of Historically Black College and University Programs and Job Corps Program.
In 1994, the office was restructured once again and the responsibilities of the Job Corps function were transferred to the bureaus. At that time, the office adopted its new role as the Office of Educational Partnerships and assumed responsibilities for the implementation of additional executive orders related to supporting Hispanic-serving institutions and Tribal colleges across the nation. In 2001, the Asian and Pacific Island communities were added.
The Office also evolved to coordinate with department bureaus and offices to plan, develop and implement youth programs, diversity outreach activities, employees’ organizations, special emphasis projects and observances and activities surrounding the coordination of recruitment for tomorrow’s highly skilled and diverse workforce.
Current Functions: Today, the Office of Educational Partnerships is a professional service organization responsible for central planning and coordinating the oversight of the Department's educational, community and diversity outreach activities.
- The Office is charged with coordinating and monitoring of all education programs, educational partnerships and respective community partnerships.
- The office coordinates and monitors implementation of Departmental policy and the management of programs and initiatives that are responsive to or required by Executive Orders on diversity recruitment outreach, educational programs and community partnering.
- The office fulfills reporting requirements by the White House concerning Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other Institutions of Higher Education related activities. It also work with Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations and educational institutions with large Asian American populations
- Other areas that the Office of Educational Partnerships is responsible for include:
- Early education and career development programs;
- collegiate-level studies and career development for undergraduate and graduate level natural and cultural resource studies;
- The Office of Educational Partnerships maintains national databases to support advancement in recruitment, and placement of a highly skilled and diverse workforce.
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