Let’s chat about the Evansville Promise Neighborhood and the Evansville Promise Zone. Sure, their names sound similar, but these two initiatives are each doing their own amazing work to meet community needs. 

To clear up any confusion and shine a light on the fantastic collaboration happening, we’ve gathered some info to show you what each initiative is all about.

Promise Neighborhood

Promise Zone

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12 Census Tracts

[10,  11.01, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25]

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10 Census Tracts

[10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 37.02]

March 2023 June 2016

Office of Elementary & Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education

Federal Grant

Promise Zone designation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Federal Grant (Resource)

5 years10 years
$30 million Thus far, because of the Promise Zone designation, the Promise Zone has assisted in receiving:
  • $8.8 million in cumulative federal grant awards and allocations
  • $9 million in cumulative federal grant allocations supporting the Promise Zone
  • $11.1 in cumulative local and state grant awards and funding (not including tax credit awards; includes some federal allocations from the city to support Promise Zone operations and key initiatives)
  • $19.2 in cumulative Promize Zone capital investments reported through the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center
  • $756 million in cumulative leveraged economic development and capital improvements
  • $6.5 million in cumulative local, state, and federal funds to support COVID-19 relief (Resource)

The vision of the program is that all children and youth growing up in Promise Neighborhoods have access to quality schools and strong systems of family and community support that will prepare them to attain an excellent education and successfully transition to college and a career. The goal of DOE with this funding is to improve academic and developmental outcomes for children in areas of concentrated poverty, and for those communities by identifying and increasing the capacity of eligible entities focused on achieving results for children and youth throughout an entire neighborhood, cradle to career.

In partnership with 23 organizations, the initiative will implement a framework for increased collaboration and expansion of high-quality services and supports that will work towards the improvement of educational opportunities, increase jobs, expand economic development, reduce violent crime, promote health and access to health care and increase access to quality affordable housing.

The Promise Zone serves the city’s highest poverty, yet most promising neighborhoods. The target area population is low-income men, women, and children of all ages, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Primary challenges include poverty, low educational attainment, low-performing schools, blight, high crime, and limited access to health care and healthy foods.
  • Pipeline Block 1 – Early Health and Education
  • Pipeline Block 2 – Student Achievement and Success
  • Pipeline Block 3 – Post-secondary Education Access
  • Pipeline Block 4 – Neighborhood and Community Revitalization
Specific results expected from the Evansville Promise Neighborhood include kindergarten readiness, proficiency in core academic subjects, successful transitions from middle to high school, high school graduation, postsecondary education/credential attainment, health and safety, stable communities, family engagement, and access to 21 st century learning tools.
  • Increase access to job skills education and training for better career opportunities
  • Support new business establishments within a dynamic economic environment
  • Improve the academic, social and emotional well-being of youth and families
  • Reduce criminal activity
  • Promote overall health and well-being
  • Expand the number of quality-affordable housing units

University of Evansville

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation

Vanderburgh County Health Dept

Building Blocks

Youth Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)

United Way of Southwestern Indiana

Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

Goodwill Industries

Ivy Technical Community College Southwest

Junior Achievement of Southwest Indiana

Urban Seeds

Youth First, Inc.

Evansville Police Department

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley

ECHO Housing Corporation

Grow Southwest Indiana Workforce Board

Dream Center

Potter’s Wheel

Memorial Community Development Corporation

Boys and Girls Club of Evansville

Community One

HOPE of Evansville

Youth Build

23 total

ECHO Community Health Care

United Neighborhoods of Evansville (UNOE)

City of Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development

Evansville Police Department

Housing Organizations United Serving Evansville (HOUSE)

Vanderburgh County Health Dept

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation

Building Blocks

Ivy Technical Community College Southwest

School Community Council After School Coalition

Welborn Baptist Foundation

Ascension St. Vincent Evansville

Youth First, Inc.

Memorial Community Development Corporation

WorkOne Southwest

Evansville Water/Sewer Utility

Old National Bank

Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (which includes the Growth Alliance of Greater Evansville, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana)

New Hope Baptist Church

Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

Junior Achievement of Southwest Indiana

Aurora

Joshua Academy

United Caring Services

Missing Pieces Community Development Corporation

27 total

Derek McKillop

Director, Evansville Promise Neighborhood

Room 270, Ridgway University Center

812-488-5704

[email protected]

Learn more: Evansville Promise Neighborhood webpage

Silas Matchem
Evansville Promise Zone Director
318 Main Street
Evansville, IN 47708
[email protected]

Christine Prior
Project Manager/Promise Zone Liaison
Department of Metropolitan Devåelopment
306 Civic Center Complex
One NW Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Evansville, IN 47708
[email protected]
812-436-4555

[Resource]

Learn more: Promise Zone webpage