From the office of Preservation Link, Inc.

Often we speak of our youth as the future while ignoring that they are also our present. We measure the return on our educational investments through changes in standardized scores, school attendance, and academic marks. Questions about our dilapidated school buildings, teacher-to-student ratio, teacher-student interactions, overwhelmed parents, and challenged communities are now too often treated as clichéd concerns. Nevertheless, most of us can agree that the multiple environments in which our youth grow play a role in their self-esteem, behavior, and aspirations. There is an invisible, but powerful connection that binds us. As we focus on our personal lives, let us not forget that there is something that extends beyond our physical being that links us through shared disappointment, ingenuity, agency, and triumph. As we strive to shape our personal fortunes, let us continue to mightily Preserve that Link!

History

Preservation LINK, Inc. (PLI), a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, began from a conversation between two people discussing the ways in which they could help to address the various concerns of youth – life skills, education, economic opportunity, social responsibility, and community enrichment. Believing that the arts, and technology could be powerful tools to accomplish these objectives, PLI was created in 1999 to develop arts-in-education programs and curricula responsive to the needs of youth. Since that time, PLI has challenged itself to develop innovative methods of engaging not just young folks, but parents, families, and the community. Building on its initial work in communities throughout South Carolina and Georgia, PLI brought its program to Dallas, Texas and has since evolved into a reputable arts-in-education agency with strong ties to the communities it serves.