The University of Wisconsin-Parkside and the University of Wisconsin-Extension established the Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) in 1997, and in doing so created a portal for connecting the resources of the university to the needs and priorities of the community. The CCP was formed with support from a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Outreach Partnership Center grant and has been sustained thereafter by program revenues and support from UW-Parkside, UW-Extension, and local stakeholders. UW-Parkside, the CCP, and its staff have obtained numerous statewide and national accolades. In 2006, UW-Parkside was recognized among only 30 public postsecondary institutions in the country to achieve the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classification of "Community Engagement" in both categories of "Outreach and Partnerships" and "Curricular Engagement." In 2004, the Nonprofit Development Program (NPDP) was added to the array of successful program areas within the CCP.
In 2015, the center's name was changed to Continuing Education and Community Engagement, in recognition of the growth of the continuing education programming.
