For 25 years, the nonprofit University Area Community Development Corporation has worked to transform a North Tampa neighborhood marked by blight and poverty into one known for resilience, creativity, and community-driven progress. The arts have played a key role in the effort.
“Arts-based programs are a cornerstone of our holistic approach to neighborhood revitalization,” University Area CDC Executive Director and CEO Sarah Combs says. “At UACDC, we believe that revitalization must go beyond physical infrastructure – it must also restore identity and dignity through creative placemaking.”
Impacting local youth
Since launching in 2001, the nonprofit’s flagship arts initiative, the Prodigy Cultural Arts Program, has redefined what neighborhood revitalization can look like by placing the arts at the center of social, cultural, and economic renewal.
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University Area CDCProdigy is a free visual and performing arts program for youth ages 5-17The life skills and prevention program for youth ages 5–17 uses free, professionally taught visual and performing arts education sessions to develop tools such as effective communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. It’s a creative outlet that provides participants with emotional support and a space to discover their potential.
“Our arts programs have had a profound impact on local youth,” Combs says. “Through initiatives like Prodigy, young people are engaged in constructive, skill-building activities during out-of-school hours – a critical time when they are most vulnerable to negative influences. We’ve seen reductions in juvenile justice involvement among participants and increases in school attendance, self-confidence, and emotional resilience. More broadly, the community feels safer and more connected when its youth are supported and empowered.”
Developing talent
Prodigy Director Ada Morales shares the story of Edwin, an 18-year-old Prodigy ambassador who got involved with the program as a 14-year-old high school freshman.
“When he started, he knew he liked drawing and painting, but he didn’t know how good he was,” Morales says. “Now, he’s excelled in his artistic ability, won an award in the Tampa area, and advocated for Prodigy at the state legislature. He’s going to USF to pursue arts and technology.”
Stories like Edwin’s demonstrate the deeper social and emotional outcomes that arts-based programs can achieve.
“I started in the program and slowly I saw that I really liked developing my canvases, my paintings and just getting creative,” Edwin says. “And then, I started doing bigger canvases and developed my passion for it.”
Eventually, he moved on to creating murals. Edwin says Prodigy provided him with
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University Area CDCProdigy ambassador Edwin, who started in the program as a 14-year-old high school freshman, is recognized for his artwork during a March 2024 showcase event. the opportunity to expand his knowledge and skills and prove he can accomplish whatever he sets his mind to.
Edwin’s award-winning artwork, displayed at the 2024 Uptown Music & Arts Festival at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, blended the influences of culture and music.
“I was trying to blend our Caribbean culture with the jazz music style and turn that into art, so I researched and involved myself in the Caribbean culture to see what parts of the culture I could put on the canvas,” he says. “That's why I have the singer and the man playing the piano and it's just beautiful to see the culture come into contact with the music. It feels incredible to be recognized with the award. I'm very grateful and I'm very glad that the public gets to see the art and the meaning behind it.”
Edwin is equally proud of his time as an ambassador speaking to lawmakers in Tallahassee about how Prodigy develops youth and builds relationships with the community. He says it was a valuable leadership opportunity that took him out of his comfort zone.
Funded primarily through a partnership with the Department of Juvenile Justice, Prodigy has expanded far beyond the University Area neighborhood to reach 11 West Central Florida counties and more than 45,000 individuals, with programs for adults, veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities.
“With the help that we get from the state and the county, it allows us to reach out to those individuals and offer them these classes,” Morales explains. “It not only allows them to learn but to find what they already had inside that they didn't know they had – like talents and abilities. It also allows them to develop and express themselves. And if they're really good, they can actually become entrepreneurs.”
She points to research that backs up the program’s impact. A
2023 study by Saint Leo University linked participation in the program to better problem-solving, communication, and anger management skills.
Changing narratives
In addition to supporting individuals, UACDC has helped reshape the perception of the neighborhood as a whole. Public art installations, youth performances, and community-led design projects have drawn attention to the area’s creativity and resilience, helping to shift outdated narratives.
“We’re no longer just seen as a ‘distressed neighborhood,’” Combs says. “We’re a hub of resilience and creativity. These changing perceptions are critical in building momentum for investment and collaboration.”
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University Area CDCFamily Unit Sculpture at Harvest Hope ParkOne example of this community-centered approach is the Family Unit Sculpture at Harvest Hope Park.
“This piece wasn’t just installed in the park—it was built with the community,” says Combs.
Residents participated in the design process and even had their names engraved on the sculpture
“That moment of visibility, of literally seeing your name etched into a shared space, created an overwhelming sense of pride and belonging,” Combs says. “It wasn’t just about beautifying the park; it was about embedding community identity into the space. Since the installation, we’ve seen a noticeable shift. Residents have taken
more responsibility for maintaining the park – organizing cleanups and encouraging their neighbors to care for it as well. When art is created by the community, for the community, it becomes more than a sculpture—it becomes a symbol of shared investment and collective stewardship.”
To extend the reach of these initiatives beyond centralized sites, UACDC launched Prodigy Moves – a mobile arts program that brings creative opportunities directly into underserved areas.
“The Prodigy Moves program has two vans where our staff goes out, bringing professional artists to communities, including rural areas where there is no program
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University Area CDCProdigy Moves uses two vans to bring hip-hop dance, painting, and other visual and performing arts into the community. site available,” Morales explains. “These mobile offerings include disciplines like painting, hip-hop dance, and music production, ensuring that geography and transportation are not barriers to participation."
The effectiveness of these programs is tracked through a combination of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods.
“Surveys, focus groups, and interviews help us capture personal stories and community sentiment, while we also track outcomes like youth program retention rates, neighborhood cleanliness, and reductions in crime,” Combs says. “One standout success is the increased engagement of youth in our programs - many of whom go on to mentor others or pursue higher education in creative fields. We've also seen a measurable rise in community participation and resident-led initiatives tied to our arts efforts.”
According to data from the Department of Juvenile Justice, 99% of youth who complete the program remain crime-free even 12 months after participating.
Looking ahead, Combs and Morales see an even broader role for the arts in community development. The University Area CDC is planning the phased development of a cultural campus – a dynamic arts and innovation hub combining creativity with education, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. Morales, meanwhile, hopes to integrate new disciplines like robotics alongside traditional arts programming, further expanding the ways young people can engage and express themselves. At its core, the University Area CDC’s work is about building with the community – not for it.
“When residents lead the storytelling, the design, and the creative process, the outcome is not only more powerful but more lasting,” Combs says. “We’re not just transforming buildings; we’re transforming beliefs—about what’s possible, about who belongs, and about what a thriving community can look like.”
For more information, go to UACDC Prodigy
This story is produced through an underwriting agreement between the University Area Community Redevelopment Corporation and 83 Degrees Media