This paper discusses some of the basic principles essential for institutions of higher education in establishing and sustaining an effective partnership with a K-12 public school system. The Health Occupations Partners in Education (HOPE) project was launched in 1998 as one of the Health Professions Partnership Initiatives of the Association of American Medical Colleges.1 This initiative encourages health professional schools, local community organizations, and health care industry to partner with a local K-12 public school district to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority students interested in and academically prepared to pursue higher education and future careers in the health professions. The partnership we have established via HOPE brings together health professional schools, a local community college, local industry, and community organizations to collaborate with a high school and two middle schools. We describe some of the general principles and strategies we have utilized to establish our partnership and to engage partner organizations in our school-based community outreach work.