BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODP), a leading provider of office products, services, and solutions, today announced that it is expanding its Strategic Partnerships Program. The program, which initially started in Connecticut, has gradually expanded across the Northeast, Southeast and West Coast. Over the past year, the program has benefited school districts, superintendents and school leaders through strategic design, organizational alignment and optimization of resources.

The Strategic Partnership Program, which is part of Office Depot, Inc’s Committed to Learning™ initiative, addresses one of the greatest challenges educators face today -- the need for a strategic plan that focuses on continuous improvement while providing measurement of progress and enabling districts to accomplish more with existing resources.

As a part of the process, Office Depot, Inc.’s education consultants, many of whom are former teachers and administrators, meet with superintendents and lead decision makers to develop the district’s shared vision, mission and goals. To date, partner districts have shown strong results through budgetary calibration, increased cost efficiency and improved staff alignment.

“Our Committed to Learning initiative helps districts take care of their business, and their learners, using innovative tools and practices that previously were confined to large companies,” said Becki Schwietz, senior director for K-12 education for Office Depot, Inc. “Once districts begin partnering with our education consultants, they learn we are a new kind of partner.”

Office Depot, Inc. has launched the Strategic Partnerships Program with multiple districts including McAllen Independent School District in Texas, West Bloomfield School District in Michigan and Wallingford Public Schools in Connecticut, all of which have seen a positive impact in their district and communities.

“Students and teachers are asked to do more than ever, so we knew we had to reimagine ways to alleviate some of that pressure,” said Dr. J.A. Gonzalez, superintendent of McAllen Independent School District. “Through our partnership with Office Depot, we have been able to execute the vision of creating environments that are authentic and engaging, to help ensure that our teachers and students succeed.”

Education consultants partnered with McAllen to determine the school district’s needs and develop a strategic plan that emphasizes early learning and community engagement. They also partnered with West Bloomfield School District to create a road map for collaborative classrooms, with an emphasis on STEAM.

“We know that modern learning environments enable students to better prepare for future careers, so when we started thinking about implementation, we turned to Office Depot, one of our trusted business partners, for their support,” said Alesia Flye, deputy superintendent for West Bloomfield School District. “As a result of our partnership, we have planned for the implementation of collaborative classrooms within our district with a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.”

Office Depot, Inc. collaborates with school districts and other educational institutions through the company’s Committed to Learning™ initiative, which offers educators access to a national team of curriculum and instruction experts across disciplines. Through the Committed to Learning™ initiative, the company partners with school districts to meet their strategic goals by providing instructional solutions and access to leaders and strategic thinkers in education that enrich the learning experience in the areas of personalized learning, project-based learning and innovative learning spaces, culture and wellness, instructional resources, and supplies.

To learn more, visit www.officedepot.com/education or contact them directly via [email protected].

About Office Depot, Inc.

Office Depot, Inc. is a leading provider of products, services, and solutions for every workplace – whether your workplace is an office, home, school, or car.

The company had 2016 annual sales of approximately $11 billion, employed approximately 38,000 associates, and served consumers and businesses in North America and abroad with approximately 1,400 retail stores, award-winning e-commerce sites, and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization – with a global network of wholly owned operations, franchisees, licensees and alliance partners. The company operates under several banner brands including Office Depot, OfficeMax, and Grand & Toy. The company’s portfolio of exclusive product brands include TUL, Foray, Brenton Studio, Ativa, WorkPro, Realspace, and Highmark.

Office Depot, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ODP.”

Office Depot is a trademark of The Office Club, Inc. OfficeMax is a trademark of OMX, Inc. ©2017 Office Depot, Inc. All rights reserved. Any other product or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

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