Office of Communications and Outreach

Welcome to OCO

The Office of Communications and Outreach is responsible for overall leadership for the Department in its communications and outreach activities. These activities are designed to engage the general public, including a wide variety of education, community, business, parent, student, and other organizations, in the U.S. Department of Education's mission.

Communications include interaction and collaboration with the media, intergovernmental and interagency organizations. The Office directs, coordinates, and recommends policy for activities designed to:

• Make the Department's policies and the Secretary's goals widely understood by the public and the many groups interested and affected by education matters, with a particular emphasis on under-served groups;
   
• Initiate and oversee the creation of specialized and proactive public outreach and information programs of high visibility and timeliness to generate interest in and focus on issues and activities relating to the mission of the Department;
   
• Develop productive working relationships with the press, mass media outlets, and the many groups involved in education issues, as well as with other federal agencies, and state and local government and non-governmental organizations;
   
• Develop communications strategies and work with all Principal Offices to oversee and coordinate communications efforts to ensure that a clear, coherent, and cohesive message is developed and communicated;
   
• Develop Web-based content, digital media, video broadcasts, publications, written documents, and other communication products of high quality with useful content;
   
• Lead, monitor, and include interagency cooperation involving the Department; and,
   
• Direct and recommend policy for the Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs and recognition programs such as the Presidential Education Awards Program, the Presidential Scholars Program, Blue Ribbon Schools, and ED Green Ribbon School.

Recognition Programs

The Recognition Programs unit manages the Department's major recognition programs for schools, students, and classified school employees nationwide. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, President's Education Awards Program, U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Program, and Recognizing Inspiring School Employees Award Program recognize and honor schools and students for excellence and achievement and classified school employees who provide exemplary service to students, colleagues, and communities. This unit also works closely with partner organizations such as the National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The United States Presidential Scholars Program recognizes and honors some of our Nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors for their academic excellence, leadership and community services, including students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established by Executive Order of the President in 1964. Each year, the Program honors up to 141 students as U.S. Presidential Scholars, one of the Nation's highest honors for high school students. The Scholars represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people. In recognizing the U.S. Presidential Scholars, the President of the United States symbolically honors all graduating high school seniors of high potential. Program Contact: Simone Olson, Executive Director, (202) 401-0961 or presidential.scholars@ed.gov.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that are either high performing or have made dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels, especially among disadvantaged students. The program is part of a larger Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures and the characteristics known from research to exemplify school quality, the Department celebrates schools, including those that beat the odds. Program Contact: Aba Kumi, Director, (202) 401-1767 or aba.kumi@ed.gov.

The President's Education Awards Program honors student achievement and hard work is the purpose of the President's Education Awards Program (PEAP). The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Since, 1983 the program has provided individual recognition from the President and the U.S. Secretary of Education to those students whose outstanding efforts have enabled them to meet challenging standards of excellence. Each year, thousands of elementary, middle, and high schools participate by recognizing deserving students. There are two categories: The President's Award for Educational Excellence and The President's Award for Educational Achievement. Program Contact: Frances Hopkins, Director (202) 205-6268 or frances.hopkins@ed.gov.

The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognition award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills and green career pathways. ED recognizes schools where staff, students, officials, and communities produce efficient, sustainable, and healthy school environments, and ensure the environmental and sustainability literacy of graduates. The recognition award is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education (ED) effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about practices that are proven to result in improved student engagement, higher academic achievement and graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a government wide goal of increasing energy independence and economic security. Program Contact: Andrea Falken, Director, (202) 205-0708 or green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov.

The Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award recognizes, honors, and promotes the commitment and excellence exhibited by full-or-part-time classified school employees who provide exemplary service to students in pre-kindergarten through high school. The Recognizing Achievement in Classified School Employees Act (H.R.276), passed by Congress in 2019, directs the U.S. Secretary of Education to establish a national award program recognizing the excellence exhibited by public school non-teaching employees. The U.S. Department of Education invites the governor of each state and the chief executive of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Outlying Areas, or their designee, to nominate up to two classified school employees annually. The Secretary of Education select a single classified school employee to receive the RISE Award for each school year. The Department communicates the selectee's story to inspire other innovative practices and excellence among classified school employees. Program Contact: Frances W. Hopkins, Director frances.hopkins@ed.gov.

Reports & Resources

The Office of Communications & Outreach produces newsletters, op-eds and letters to the editor, a TV show and webcasts, audio clips for radio broadcasters, answers to frequently asked questions, a website of teaching and learning resources from across the federal government, and resources for parents.

You may also be interested in our overview of the U.S. Department of Education and the Department's publications.

Customer Service

Customer service at ED is spearheaded by our Information Resource Center, where information specialists answer hundreds of questions each week from parents, educators, students, and citizens. We are committed to excellence in customer service.

We invite you to look at our most frequently asked questions and answers. You can also reach us at:

Call:

1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)
Spanish speakers available
DC Metro area
202-401-2000
TTY for hearing impaired
1-800-877-8339

Write:

Information Resource Center
400 Maryland Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20202-0498

Online:

www.ed.gov/faq/faqs-frequently-asked-questions

Hours:

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday