Federal grant to fund Evansville Promise Neighborhood

The University of Evansville has received a $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the school announced Thursday. The funding will establish the Evansville Promise Neighborhood, or EPN, which aims to help prepare children throughout their academic journey and find successful careers.

UE says the goal is to provide kids in the EPN by providing them “access to outstanding schools as well as robust family and community support systems.”

Evansville was one of only three promise neighborhoods to receive funding in 2023.

The city received a federal, 10-year Promise Zone designation in 2016 that was designed to “support its most at-risk, yet most promising neighborhoods within its urban core,” the university said. The designation was a precursor to receiving the Promise Neighborhood grant.

The University of Evansville submitted the application for $30 million in funding over five years. That funding is being matched with nearly $32.5 million invested by 23 partner agencies in the community.

UE said the total $62 million figure comes from the cost invested in providing wraparound care services to schools and neighborhood within the EPN.

“This Evansville’s Promise Neighborhood investment is unmatched and will be critical to ensuring our community has the resources they need,” Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke said in a news release. “This is a major success for our city and will be beneficial in the months and years ahead.”

The schools included within the Evansville Promise Neighborhood include Evans Elementary School, Delaware Elementary School, Lincoln School, Bosse High School, Lodge Community School, and Glenwood Leadership Academy.

“This grant we received is a result of this community coming together and collaborating for the common good of Evansville,” said Evansville Promise Zone Director Silas Matchem. “This really solidifies all the work we have been doing since the culmination of the Promise Zone designation. I can’t emphasize enough how big of an impact this will truly have for not only the neighborhoods it serves but for our Promise Zone and the City of Evansville as a whole.”