The Baton Rouge Chapter won 2nd place for the Umbrella Programming facet at the 2009 Southern Area Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.  The award was in recognition of the chapter's development, sponsorship, and participation in the Expanding the Vision Conference.

In the spirit of collaboration, the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Links, Inc. and the Southern University System Center for Cultural Heritage and International Programs have held the  Expanding the Visions Conference on the campus of Southern University for the past three years.The conference is especially targeted towards African American Students Grades 7-12: Their Parents, Teachers, Counselors and Neighbors (ETV).  Role models from all walks of life volunteered their time and talents for this day of enlightening and worthwhile workshops and presentations on career options, life skills, (including how to be successful in school), conflict resolution, understanding peer pressure, overcoming the lure of negative choices, and other issues confronting our youth.

The conference also offered workshops designed for parents and other adults. Discussions focused on healthy relationships with children, including understanding the internet, text messaging and issues young people face in school each day. The goal of the parent/adult component is to provide how-to information for parents to provide them with strategies for supporting and encouraging their children.

In addition, the conference featured a Community Resource Showcase that provided an opportunity for educational institutions, community organizations and others to showcase their programs and services that are designed to enhance the lives of the participants.