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NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development have confirmed a partnership with the Hip-Hop Association (H2A) to launch the Hip-Hop Education (H2Ed) Center for Research, Evaluation, and Professional Development.

The H2Ed Center aims to ignite education reform by uniting national art programs and educational institutions for the purpose of the study and teaching of Hip-Hop culture.

Overseeing this endeavor will be a select advisory committee of educators, scholars, artists, and administrators who’ll form a reliable think tank to keep abreast of new developments and challenges within the culture.

The H2Ed Center will utilize the annual HHEAL (Hip-Hop Educates and Advances Lives) Festival as its signature showcase.

Last April, the festival conducted a 2 day seminar featuring panels and workshops on Hip-Hop’s viability as an instrument for social change and human rights.

This year, HHEAL plans to add inspirational films and motivational speakers to the event. With the H2Ed now a reality, Hip-Hop Association President Martha Diaz argues Hip-Hop culture must continue to expand its voice beyond entertainment and consumerism.

“Hip-Hop culture is an undeniable force that must be examined further in order to bring credence to this new field of education practice that is gaining traction,” Diaz told AllHipHop.com. “Creating the center has been both arduous and rewarding. We needed a space to conduct expert research, cultivate leadership, and create an archive that validates the work we do. With our academic supporters at NYU, we made it happen.”

For more information on the non-profit Hip-Hop Association and NYU’s Metro Center for Urban Education, please visit http://www.hiphopassociation.org and http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/index.html.