The Links, Incorporated focuses on providing a range of innovative, substantive and sustainable Pre-K-16 programming that contributes proven results to key educational or social/community issues.​

The Services to Youth facet uses an integrated approach to prepare young people to succeed as healthy citizens in the global workforce and to promote healthy lifestyles within families and communities. In support of The Links’ mission to enrich and enhance the lives of black youth, the primary goals of this facet are to:

  • Close the achievement gap from pre-K through college, with the intent of preparing our youth for the global workforce as healthy citizens

  • Develop training modules for local pre-K through college mentoring programs, to ascertain a high level of support for youth in our communities

  • Expand and support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education

  • Promote and support historically black colleges and universities for ensured sustainability

Programs & Initiatives

Dr. Jean Mosee Young Writers Contest

This program was created by Dr. Jean Curl Mosee initially as the Young Black Writers Contest after learning about the poor test scores in writing among African American high school students in Washington DC. Since then, the contest is now open to all students in the sixth through twelfth grades. The purpose of the contest is to encourage writing among middle and high school students, especially students of color, and to publicly recognize their literary talents. The contest was renamed to honor Dr. Jean Mosee and now more than thirty-eight years later, over 2,000 students have participated in the program and there have been more than 200 winners over the life of the program.

National Poster Art Competition

The National Poster Art Competition was created in 1995 in conjunction with The Links, Incorporated’s National Walk-A-Thon. The competition theme, Transforming Communities by Making Health a Habit, allows students to incorporate sub themes including topics around healthy living. Their artwork can include physical, mental, and environmental health – when those health issues are addressed in the community, the community is transformed. Students should include a thematic direction in their art as elements related to healthy and happy communities. This contest is conducted solely online and occurs every other year.

EMPOWER Parents: STY Programming

In the fall of 2019, the Metropolitan DC Chapter developed an umbrella program to help the young parents at the Ballou STAY Opportunity Program. Throughout the year, STY will develop specialized programming focused on supporting pregnant teens/teen parents and their offspring.