Who We Fund
The ones holding the buckets.
At Parkland Smile Initiative, we support aspiring dental therapy students who are committed to serving communities with limited access to oral healthcare. We focus on those who face barriers to traditional financial aid—students who may not qualify for loans or scholarships, but who bring deep purpose, lived experience, and a genuine desire to serve.
We believe lived experience has value.
Many people discover their passion for community care later in life—after years spent in service roles that often go unrecognized. By then, most conventional funding doors have closed.
We exist to open a new one.
PSI creates pathways for people over 35 who are ready to make a difference but need help finding a way in.
We believe in education through service.
Every student we support makes a four-year commitment:
– Two years of volunteer work during their training
– Two years of paid community dental work after graduation, through PSI
It’s a model designed to build both capacity and continuity—investing in people who invest right back.