The Sara L. Spurlark Award

Every year, since 1990, the Sara L. Spurlark Award has recognized promising high school seniors, because of generous donors like you. The Award was established in 1990 to provide monetary gifts for college bound graduating seniors who exemplify excellence and are committed to giving back through community service. Students are selected from Kenwood Academy in Chicago, Illinois, and in recent years, this has expanded to include graduating seniors from Hyde Park Academy.

Among the drivers in Sara Liston Spurlark’s life were (1) the importance of education, (2) the ability to use education to adapt as times change, and (3) the obligation to give back to the community. These principles were embedded in her through examples set by her parents and her ancestors. The importance of those principles was readily apparent when she was born in 1923, a little over 50 years after the official end of slavery, and they are still critically important today.

The financial challenges that face aspiring students was imprinted early on during Mrs. Spurlark’s childhood when her parents provided lodging and access to work to assist students attending the HBCUs where they themselves worked.

After receiving an undergraduate degree from Hampton University and a Masters from the University of Connecticut Mrs. Spurlark went to Chicago in 1947 to attend the University of Chicago, her father’s alma mater, as a PhD candidate in biochemistry.

Mrs. Spurlark was among the faculty when Kenwood High School (now Kenwood Academy) first opened in 1966. There she taught Biology and Chemistry and headed the Science department. A few years later, she became one of Kenwood’s Assistant Principals responsible for curriculum development and programming. She later served in a variety of community and educationally focused roles that contributed to an outstanding quality of achievement among Hyde Park and Kenwood public school graduates that continues to this day.

The Board of Directors for the Sara L. Spurlark Award is comprised of past students, family members and other experienced, committed, community focused professionals who invite you to visit us at SpurlarkAward.org to learn more about our mission and commitment to our future generations.

***Special note - fees are automatically deducted from each donation; therefore, the requested TIP for gofundme is completely optional**

The Sara L Spurlark Award annually provides monetary awards to exceptional members of each senior class of Chicago’s Kenwood Academy to further their education and contributions to their community.

Created in 1990, the Spurlark Award recognizes Kenwood Academy Seniors who have demonstrated academic achievement and exemplify a commitment to the ongoing expansion of their education and to providing continual service to their community.

About Mrs. Sara Spurlark

Sara Liston Spurlark served the Chicago Public Schools and her community with grace, wisdom and integrity as a teacher, principal and civic leader. Mrs. Spurlark was a Hyde Park-Kenwood mother of three, a wife, teacher, and school administrator who dedicated her life to inspiring young people to find passion in the classroom and service to their community.

Her friends and admirers established the Sara Spurlark Award following her retirement as principal of the William H Ray School in 1990. Go to Sara Spurlark's Full Biography

Mrs. Spurlark saw the highest potential in EVERY student and young person. She dedicated her life's work to educating, uplifting, and inspiring them to fulfill their dreams and give back to their communities.

Let's continue to uplift her legacy by investing in exceptional students today!

Donations of every size are welcomed and appreciated because every little bit helps us support new graduates in fulfilling their post-secondary education goals.

Please help us expand our reach and deepen our impact on students and the Chicago community.

Give now!!!

Thank you so much for your support and visiting our page! Please consider sharing.

***special note - fees are automatically deducted from each donation, therefore the requested TIP for gofundme is completely optional**


The Sara L Spurlark Award provides monetary awards to exceptional members of each senior class of Chicago’s Kenwood Academy to further their education and contributions to their community.

 

The Spurlark Award was created in 1990 to recognize Kenwood Academy Seniors who have demonstrated academic achievement and exemplify a commitment to the ongoing expansion of their education and to providing continual service to their community.

 

 

Seven Kenwood Academy graduates were recipients of the Spurlark Award in June, 2021

 

About Sara Spurlark

Sara Liston Spurlark served the Chicago Public Schools and her community with grace, wisdom and integrity as a teacher, principal and civic leader. Mrs. Spurlark was a Hyde Park-Kenwood mother of three, a wife, teacher, and school administrator who dedicated her life to inspiring young people to find passion, not only in the classroom, but also in service to their community.

 

The Sara Spurlark Award was established by her friends and admirers following her retirement as principal of the William H Ray School in 1990. Go to Sara Spurlark's Full Biography

 

 

Mrs. Spurlark saw the highest level of potential in EVERY student and young person. She dedicated her life's work to doing all she could to educate, uplift, and inspire them to fulfill their dreams and give back to their communities. Let's uplift her legacy and carry on her work by investing in exceptional students today!

 

 

Help lift the economic burden that many new high school graduates experience. Make a difference today by donating to the Sara L Spurlark Award .

 

Donations of every size are welcomed and appreciated because every little bit helps us support new graduates in fulfilling their post-secondary education goals.

 

Help us expand our reach and deepen our impact to students and the wider Chicago community.

 

Give now!!!

Thank you so much for your support and visiting our page!  Please consider sharing.