Duke’s partnership with the Durham Public Schools has fostered a multitude of programs and millions of dollars in monetary and in-kind support toward improving student achievement and professional development efforts in our eight partner schools. The collaboration has received a Governor's Education Partnership Award from the state of North Carolina.

• More than 500 volunteers – faculty, staff and students -- from Duke can be found in Durham Public Schools on any given day .
  • Projects range from guest lectures and tutoring to curriculum development, research, health care and effective teaching practices.
  • Duke students and employees provide more than 100,000 hours of volunteer service in the schools each year.
• Partners for Success
  • About 150 Duke students a year are trained by Duke’s Program in Education as tutors to provide individualized math and reading support to about 125 at-risk children in partnership schools.
• Durham Teaching Fellows
  • In 2006, Duke launched a new program that will provide full tuition and a stipend for 24 Duke students to complete their Master of Arts in Teaching program in exchange for a two-year commitment to teach in the Durham public schools.
• The Spanish Leap Program
  • Launched in 2006, the Spanish Leap Program provides training, including a language immersion trip to Guatemala, to about 30 local teachers working with Hispanic students.
  • Mentoring for early-career teachers
  • A program launched in 2006 provides mentoring to new teachers including professional growth support from Duke’s Center for Teacher Learning and Collaboration, to help them obtain National Board Certification.
• Project H.O.P.E.
  • More than 130 Duke volunteers work with Project H.O.P.E. (Holistic Opportunities Plan for Enrichment) in five community center after-school programs. Duke and N.C. Central University each received a four-year $2.25 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in 2002 for this initiative.
• Project Child
  • About 80 first-year students tutor at-risk children in seven partner schools and four community centers.
• America Reads/Counts Program
  • About 150 Duke students and employees each school year provide math and language arts tutoring for students in DPS schools.
• $1 million grant from PepsiCo Foundation
  • The $1 million grant to Duke Libraries was used to boost computer access and technology training in low-income partner neighborhoods and schools.
• School construction projects
  • Duke University has contributed to several school construction projects including: the Outdoor Learning Environment at Morehead Elementary, the amphitheater and storm water management project at Watts Montessori Elementary, the running track at the Durham School of the Arts, the outdoor learning environment at E.K. Powe Elementary and the hardscape and playground project at Carter Community School.
• Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Student Science Enrichment Program
  • Students from Rogers-Herr Year-Round Middle School worked with Pratt School of Engineering faculty and students on team-designed projects, funded by a $167,500 grant awarded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Student Science Enrichment Program.
  • “Techtronics: Hands-on Exploration of Technology in Everyday Life” introduces students to four branches of engineering: electrical/computer, biomedical, mechanical and civil.
• Partners for Youth
  • A year-round mentoring and internship program that prepares West End at-risk teens to attend college was launched with Duke support in 1997.
  • In 1999, the program received the national gold medal from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for university-community programs.
  • In 2004, PFY became an independent nonprofit.
• BOOST (Building Opportunities and Overtures in Science and Technology)
  • BOOST is designed to improve student performance in the 5th to 6th grade transition and encourage under-represented minorities to pursue science.
  • Awarded initial grant of $538,000 from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a second grant of $750,000 to expand the program through 9th grade
  • Additional support to support another 25 students was received from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
• E.K. Powe Elementary School Science Resource Center
  • $270,000 E.K. Powe Elementary School Science Resource Center was built with funds provided by Duke.
  • The project received a national CASE award for community/university partnerships.
• Grant for $450,000
  • The GE Fund and Pratt School of Engineering donated $450,000 for the MUSCLE (Math Understanding Through the Science of Life) program at Rogers-Herr Year-Round Middle School and Lakewood Elementary.
• Duke University Retirees Outreach (DURO)
  • Over 50 volunteers
  • “Adopted” Lakewood Elementary.
  • The project won a national CASE award for community/university partnerships.
• $250,000 Learning Network Grant from AT&T
  • Given to Perkins Library to train public school teachers at Rogers Herr and Durham School of the Arts in effective use of technology the classroom.