The Institute for Community, University and School Partnerships (ICUSP) emerged from the desire to link the resources and needs of The University of Texas at Austin, K-12 schools, and local communities in the Central Texas area. While nurturing a network of practitioners, scholars and community activists, ICUSP develops and implements programs that both facilitate youth development and academic achievement as well as enhance college-readiness. Additionally, ICUSP supports the development and efficacy of youth-serving, non-profit organizations and allows for the exchange of knowledge between university affiliates, school based educational stakeholders and community members. 

ICUSP is part of an integrated vision to directly impact academic outcomes for students in the K-12 school system while providing theoretically rigorous and practically grounded doctoral training in Cultural Studies in Education. All ICUSP project directors hold advanced degrees in education related fields, and the majority of them are current doctoral students. They initiate, participate and work with community-resonant, culturally-anchored projects. Corresponding to the individual projects, ICUSP maintains an active research agenda as well as partnerships with local organizations to conduct and disseminate research.