The Power of Partnership with Colleges and Universities: Celebrating 10 Years 1994—2004 Community Outreach Partnership Centers

It is with great pride—and a spirit of celebration—that the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) looks back on a decade of fruitful
collaboration with colleges and universities around the country.

Through the
Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC) program, institutions of higher
education have played a unique and increasingly powerful role in revitalizing local
communities and helping HUD fulfill its mission.
During the past 10 years, HUD and its educational partners have experienced
firsthand the “power of partnership,” which is the theme of this anniversary
publication.

By collaborating with neighborhood residents, local organizations,
government officials, and other stakeholders, COPC grantees have helped to improve
their communities, empower residents and the organizations that serve them, and
strengthen relationships between campus and community. At the same time, COPCs have helped their respective
colleges and universities improve the quality of the education they offer to all students and the hands-on training
they provide to those who, upon graduation, will spearhead local community-building initiatives. HUD and its
Office of University Partnerships (OUP) are honored to be part of the growing community engagement movement
and to provide COPC grantees with financial support, technical assistance, and the opportunity to network with
others who are striving to reach the same goals.

This spring, hundreds of colleges and universities took advantage of one such networking opportunity by sending
representatives to a celebratory conference marking the 10th anniversary of OUP and COPC. This well-attended
gathering illustrated in a concrete way just how much OUP has grown since it was established in 1994. Conference
participants represented a wide variety of educational institutions, from research universities to community colleges.

These grantees now participate in eight grant programs that OUP administers. They also serve an increasingly
diverse population—including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native
Hawaiians—through increasingly sophisticated partnership activities.

HUD congratulates OUP and its grantees on their great accomplishments. With this anniversary publication, we
also are pleased to honor the COPC program in a special way. COPC grantees were the pioneers who helped HUD
become an active facilitator of community partnerships. In particular, we honor the individuals, from all walks of
life, who have been instrumental in making COPC such a success at the local level. Without the commitment of
these individuals and others like them, OUP would never have accomplished as much as it has during the past 10
years. With their continuing enthusiasm and support, we are confident that COPC will accomplish even more in its
second decade of community engagement.

Dr. Darlene F. Williams

General Deputy Assistant Secretary

Office of Policy Development and Research

Full Report: http://www.oup.org/pubs/copc10.html