The Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement supports a wide variety of Presidential, Congressional, and Secretarial initiatives including Women in Agriculture, The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Farmworker Coordination.
Women in Agriculture
From the classroom to the farm to the boardroom, women in agriculture are helping to pave the way for a better future. As leaders, it is our responsibility to make sure the next generation of women are educated, encouraged and empowered to take on the challenges of meeting the world's growing food, fuel and fiber needs.
Visit the USDA Women in Agriculture Homepage.
The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Led by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Transportation, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) works to improve the quality of life for AAPI individuals and communities across the nation through increased access to and participation in federal programs. The Initiative seeks to highlight both the tremendous unmet needs in the AAPI community as well as the dynamic community assets that can be leveraged to meet many of those needs. USDA AAPI areas of focus include outreach and engagement, capacity building, and data collection.
Learn more about our mission and the Executive Order on Economic Empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders that was issued on May 13, 2019.
Additional Resources
- Executive Order 13811 on Economic Empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
- 2015 National Institute for Food and Agriculture AAPI Annual Report
The White House Initiative on HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
Led by the U.S. Department of Education, the White House Initiative on HBCUs. The Initiative shall work with agencies, private-sector employers, educational associations, philanthropic organizations, and other partners to increase the capacity and competitiveness of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education to an increasing number of students.
The Initiative is dedicated to helping HBCUs successfully compete for top opportunities in national and global markets while providing education and economic experiences that can improve the standards of living for the students and communities HBCUs primarily serve.
In accordance with Presidential Executive Order 13779, federal agencies are required to prepare annual plans describing efforts to strengthen the capacity and competitiveness of historically black colleges and universities, creating more favorable conditions under which they compete for federal and private sector opportunities. In furtherance of these objectives, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities requested these Statements of Federal Agency Priorities, setting forth areas of opportunity in connection with implementation of the executive order. In keeping with the requirement to yearly submit updated annual plans, federal agencies also will continue to build upon these priorities, providing annual updated statements.
These statements of priorities inform areas of focus and emphasis, providing historically black colleges and universities and the private sector with useful information to target their outreach to and engagement with federal agencies.
To read more about Executive Order 13779 - THE WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES - see below.
Additional Resources
Farmworker Coordination
The Farmworker Coordinator identifies challenges faces by farmworkers and coordinates the community’s needs with USDA resources, and training to advance into other agricultural careers. The Coordinator works with community-based organizations to disseminate information that ensures farmworkers have access to USDA programs that may assist farmworkers, including emergency services provided by USDA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. USDA works closely with other Federal departments to better identify and address the needs of farmworker communities.
Resources
- COVID-19 Interim Guidance from CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor
- UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
For more information on these initiatives, please contact us at:
Maria Goldberg
Phone: (202) 720-6350
Email: Maria.Goldberg@usda.gov