The Young Preservationists of Pittsburgh was founded in 2002 by Dan Holland, currently a candidate for a Doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh in History. Dan was inspired by the participation of young people in the environmental movement and wanted to create a similar passion for the needs of historic preservation in our area. Dan was somewhat of a visionary in this idea because the formation of YPA has encouraged others throughout the whole country to create their own young preservation groups. The Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists is a wonderful example of how far this idea has spread. In fact, the very first meeting of the RBCOYP was right here in Pittsburgh. Our Promise Award, which is given each year to a young individual who best exemplifies what YPA’s mission, has been re-named in Dan’s honor as the Dan Holland Promise Award. The recipients are: Christian Hughes in 2017, JaQuay Carter in 2018, Aishu V. in 2019, and Sarah Marsom in 2020