East Pasco Initiative

The East Pasco Initiative is part of the Evolution Institute’s work to improve quality of life using strategies informed by action-oriented and place-based research. There are several communities in East Pasco, Florida who, living just miles away from neighborhoods with the highest median household income in the Tampa Bay area, have been historically disadvantaged through policy choice, discourse, and access to resources. Using interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches, the Evolution Institute is committed to working with local partners to break the cycle of poverty and materially improve lives in underserved communities.

Our vision is of a diverse and resilient ecosystem in which economic development, education, health care and affordable housing are interconnected and embedded into the socio-ecological fabric. Agency and empowerment are key to systemically advancing a more just society, and we recognize that racial justice cannot exist without economic and environmental justice.