At the annual Appreciation Picnic and Awards Ceremony, the Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP) celebrated community partners, as well as UChicago students, staff, and faculty whose work over the past year has made a lasting impact.
The following awards were distributed during the May 14 celebration:
Above & Beyond Award: The Above and Beyond Award is given to an NSP tutor or intern that has gone the extra mile at their site and has demonstrated an extraordinary level of enthusiasm and engagement. Teachers/Supervisors are asked to nominate any student they believe to have demonstrated hard work, dedication, and a tireless commitment to supporting education and the South Side communities as an NSP tutor or intern.
Grecia Herrera-Herrera
Remi Swan
Gael Bosqued Garza
Kelly Bu
Sophie Burgess
Aoibheann Holland
Ian Hutch
Ryan Kim
Daisy Nieto-Diaz
Ovia Sundar
Maria Villamizar Londono
Georgie Williams
Jayleesha Cooper
Duel Richardson Distinguished Service Award: The Duel Richardson Distinguished Service Award is given to any UChicago student who has participated in any of our programs (NSP, MTM, HHC) all four years of their undergraduate careers.
Arnav Agarwal
Jayleesha Cooper
Katie Fraser
Devashree Goenka
Jasmine Jones
Finn Roach
JC Rodriguez
Micayla Roth
Nolan Sun
Emma Van Steertegem
Sara Spurlark Excellence in Teaching Award: This award is named after Sara Spurlark, who dedicated over thirty years to educating youth in the Hyde Park and North Kenwood Oakland communities and has been a pioneer in charting the course of urban education in Chicago. According to Tim Knowles, former Executive Director of the Urban Education Institute, Ms. Spurlark has been involved with the Chicago Public Schools for many years as “an advisor and guide to superintendents, principals, teachers, and social workers, a mentor to hundreds of educators, and a role model to thousands of children across the city of Chicago.” She progressed in her career from being a science teacher for twelve years to being the assistant principal of Kenwood High School, later becoming the principal of Ray School, and was instrumental in the development of the University of Chicago Charter Schools. Her phenomenal contributions and constant support of Chicago Public Schools continues to lay the groundwork for young people excelling academically and increasing their life outcomes. NSP tutors nominate their classroom teachers for this award.
Christine Vega-Castro – Ray Elementary
Megan Brand – Murray Language Academy
Don York Faculty Initiative Award: The Don York Faculty Initiative Award is presented annually to a University of Chicago faculty member who has made a significant and lasting contribution to local K–12 students and schools through academic initiatives and personal commitment. This recognition was established by the Neighborhood Schools Program in 2010 to honor faculty members who have positively influenced the field of education particularly through direct engagement with Chicago Public Schools schools. In 2013, the award was named in honor of Professor Emeritus Donald G. York, who worked for over two decades to advance the thoughtful integration of technology in CPS classrooms. Notably, Don’s team was responsible for running the very first internet connection into a CPS building from the University to DuSable High School in 1995.
Dr. Francesca Luca, PhD – UChicago Department of Human Genetics