A Meeting of the Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists

Hey, thanks for clicking the RSVP link!

So...what is this all about? After meeting each other in various ways, we realized that, as Young Preservationists, we have a lot in common. And we do a lot of things a little differently. So we had an idea to start bringing together Young Preservationists from across our region to meet in person, share stories, and exchange ideas. To pool our resources and our knowledge. To improve each of our groups, and to inspire other groups. To provide guidance for new preservationists just starting out. And perhaps most importantly...to create a meaningful and active preservation movement together.

We're calling this new federation The Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists, and we're holding the first weekend-long summit this April in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And we want YOU to join us!

We know you are super interested and want to drop everything and head to Pittsburgh right now. But you can't. There are just a few things you have to do first.

Reserve. Mark your calendars the weekend of April 8-10 to come to beautiful Western Pennsylvania. Arrive the evening of Friday, April 8th for a kickoff meetup. Plan on heading home Sunday afternoon.

RSVP! There will be meetups. There will be chats. There will be tours by foot and by bike and by bus and by incline. An accurate headcount is needed to get logistics in place, so decide by March 11th if you can join us.

Make travel plans. Talk to your fellow preservationists and see if they are coming. Organize carpools!

Make lodging plans. The epicenter of this meetup is Pittsburgh’s Northside, where some of the YPA PGHers live. There is plenty of space for people to crash in their homes, but we need to know how many (See RSVP! ) Or, make plans to stay with friends, relatives, enemies...whoever. We don't mind. And reach out to us if you prefer private hotel accomodations - we won't be reserving blocks of rooms, but we are happy to provide recommendations for those who would like to pay for more privacy.

Get excited! This is going to be awesome, and the more excited we are and the more we talk about it, the better. Spread the word! Invite your friends! Slap #rustbeltlove on your posts, your photos, and your tweets!

RSVP ASAP. Join our Facebook Group for updates as the summit gets closer, and we'll also email major updates to those who have expressed an interest. And visit the brand-spanking-new RBCYP blog for posts by and about the Young Preservationists that will be attending!

Know of a preservation group in the Rust Belt that we haven't connected with yet? Want to write a post for the blog? Have questions? Reach out to us at rbc@youngpreservationists.org.

See you soon!

- The Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists