Ashoka U Reflections

The University of Evansville Secures $30 Million Grant to Create Evansville Promise Neighborhood

We are delighted to share the wonderful news from the University of Evansville (UE), a Changemaker Campus, which has secured a $30 million grant to create Evansville Promise Neighborhood. This made UE one of three recipients in the U.S. to be awarded this special grant by the U.S. Department of Education in 2023.

The Promise Neighborhood funding’s objective is to help children and youth by giving them access to successful schools and community support systems. Thus, the UE intends to help young people reach higher academic achievements, make the transition to college, advance in their career paths in the future and create more job opportunities through this grant. Moreover, the UE plans to utilize the grant to enhance economic development, improve health and access to health care, increase access to quality affordable accommodation and more.

UE President Christopher Pietruszkiewicz emphasized

The significance of this investment by our university for numerous families who require assistance is critical and extraordinarily impactful for the well-being of our entire Evansville community. […] This is what being a Changemaker campus is all about…

Tara Barney, CEO of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership, highlighted that the success of receiving this grant is a result of a “high level of collaboration and strategic visioning”, and that it will create a “lasting impact and opportunity” to uplift the quality of place for the community.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to this Changemaker Campus on this accomplishment. This is an important and transformational time for higher education institutions as social innovation and social impact is further addressed and increasingly led by them.

Hear from campus president Christopher Pietruszkiewicz and Change Leader Erin Lewis about their vision and work to engage deeply with their community and city through the Promise Neighborhood fund: