The Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership began in 1996 under President Nan Keohane as a way to engage Duke University and its people in a structured partnership with the surrounding community. In many ways, the partnership simply formalizes what has always been true: Duke, nearby neighborhoods and Durham are one big community. Many Duke employees live in the neighborhoods around campus. As neighbors, we need to help and learn from each other. We need to listen and work to keep friendships strong. This way, we can come to trust and count on each other.

Duke has learned a great deal in the first several years of the partnership. We've listened closely to community and school leaders about what neighborhoods need, and we've tried to think of every way Duke can help make those things happen. With residents and community leaders, with charitable foundations and local non-profits, with local government and with churches, we're part of an exciting team effort. Duke has already helped to raise more than $12 million to invest in its partner neighborhoods.

Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead and the Duke Board of Trustees are committed to do even more over the next few years.

“… I rejoice in the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership that Mayor Bell and President Keohane did so much to further, and I pledge to carry this partnership to new heights…” Excerpt from President Brodhead's inaugural address as Duke's ninth president, on September 18, 2004.

Alongside our partners, we've experienced thousands of moments of achievement in public school classrooms and seen children inspired to achieve more. Together, we've renovated and built dozens of affordable houses and watched renters become homeowners. Together, we've improved patrols and helped neighborhoods prevent crime to make residents safer and more secure. Together, we've built health clinics in neighborhoods and schools to extend care to people who couldn't access it before.

At Duke, we want to deepen friendships, raise more money and involve more people from the university in the partnership, especially through service learning opportunities for Duke students. We'll continue our focus on supporting the schools that serve these neighborhoods. We will help build more affordable, owner-occupied homes in Walltown and in West End, work with the school district to pilot after-school programs there and work with Southwest Central Durham community to create and implement a grassroots quality of life plan. We'll work closely with the growing Latino population to create affordable housing, reduce crime, improve healthcare and enrich youth. And we'll work to support faith organizations and continue involving government agencies in the partnership.

For a listing of Honors and Awards that the partnership has recieved CLICK HERE

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