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WASHINGTON (February 4, 2013) — Chairman Jim Leach of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and leaders of twelve government agencies and NGOs in signing a “Declaration of Learning,” a formal announcement of partnership as members of the Inter-Agency Collaboration on Learning.
Signed January 30th on the historic Treaty of Paris desk at the Department of State Headquarters, the declaration recognizes participating institutions for their commitment to work together to digitize historic artifacts in the collection of the State Department’s Diplomatic Reception Rooms and to develop classroom learning tools and digital learning tools that can be accessed from computers, tablets, and cell-phones.
“The Declaration of Learning I am about to sign will help transport the story and significance of this desk along with the many other pieces of our history to anyone with an internet connection,” said Secretary Clinton at the signing ceremony. “For educators, this partnership will offer valuable resources for students and all the lifelong learners out there. It will help bring history to life and, we hope, inspire them to learn and achieve even more.”
Other institutions participating in the Inter-Agency Collaboration on Education include: National Archives, Library of Congress, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institutions, National Endowment for the Arts, Newseum, American Library Association, National Center for Literacy Education, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council for the Social Studies, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the U.S. Department of State.
The signing ceremony also honored Secretary Clinton for her role in establishing the first permanent endowment for the Diplomatic Reception Rooms. The “Patrons of Diplomacy” initiative raised $20 million to support conservation and educational activities relating to the Diplomatic Rooms and their historic objects.