HUD ANNOUNCES CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE COMMITMENT TO ACTION PROMOTING SCIENCE ORIENTED JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announces a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action for the STEM, Energy, and Economic Development Initiative (SEED): Coalitions for Community Growth. SEED focuses on increasing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, job skill development, and energy literacy for residents of public housing. In partnership with local public housing authorities (PHAs), SEED will create local coalitions of public-private partners to create or expand programs in these areas. The initiative is being piloted in five communities: Cleveland, Denver, San Antonio, Tampa and Washington DC, with the goal to expand to 20 cities by 2018. The CGI Commitment to Action can be viewed here (https://www.clintonfoundation.org/clinton-global-initiative/commitments/seed-coalitions-community-growth#sthash.6PL2Ju3o.dpuf).

"Every child deserves a fair shot at achieving their dreams, and through SEED we are investing in the next generation of American workers and businesses so they may compete in the 21st century global economy," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Public and Indian Housing, Lourdes Castro-Ramirez. "By equipping our children with the technology skills they need, we're preparing them to thrive in today's job market and become tomorrow's leaders in cutting-edge industries."

Earlier this year at the CGI America meeting in Denver CO, HUD announced the launch of SEED, which is a unique collaboration between HUD, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) that will help address the shortfall of STEM graduates as noted in President Obama's National Science and Technology Council's five-year strategic plan (https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/stem_stratplan_2013.pdf).

HUD and DOE have made significant investments in infrastructure upgrades and residential energy retrofits to conserve resources on a national scale. Through SEED, HUD is building on these investments by working with its local housing authorities and other partners to create educational and employment opportunities for public housing residents. The goal is to provide training that will lead to career-oriented employment opportunities in STEM fields and other areas of future economic growth.

This approach will also leverage HUD's Section 3 program which requires PHAs that receive federal funds for capital improvements to train and hire public housing and low income residents. Using Section 3, HUD will encourage SEED PHAs to use their energy retrofit projects or other capital improvement projects to train and employ residents in STEM/energy-related employment generated by these investments.

Other federal programs that will be leveraged include: DOE's Better Buildings Challenge, Energy Saver and Energy Literacy programs to provide technical assistance and energy education resources. ED will leverage its investments in adult and technical education programs to benefit SEED communities.

In addition to the resources provided by the three federal agencies, to date five national partners are supporting SEED: Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA), the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), The Corps Network, the Carnegie Science Center, and US2020.

For more information about SEED, please visit: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/seed

About the CGI

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, CGI, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together 190 sitting and former heads of state, more than 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 3,200 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov.

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