The Park journey is shaped by the arc of PreK–8 childhood, a time when students move from early discovery to growing independence, curiosity, and confidence.
For some families, that journey spans a full decade — from the earliest days of learning to read and write, to presenting a poetry anthology and speaking a new language in eighth grade. For others, it begins somewhere in the middle, joining a new community and embracing new traditions, relationships, and learning experiences. However long the path, Park leaves a lasting mark.
As one Grade 8 family approached Graduation this spring, they found themselves reflecting on everything Park has meant to them, and felt moved to mark the moment with a gift as meaningful as the journey itself. Building on their previous commitment to Phase III of The SPARK Campaign, this family offered an additional $250,000 as a matching gift challenge. The Last Chapter Challenge is open exclusively to families of the Class of 2026. Through a dollar-for-dollar match, every new gift or pledge to Phase III will be doubled, making this a powerful opportunity to amplify a family’s support of the School at this milestone moment.
Now, Grade 8 families have the opportunity to carry on that legacy with a gift that will support future generations of Park students and families, extending the impact of their time at Park for years to come.
This is both a celebration and an invitation: a way to honor what Park has given to each family, and to extend that impact to the students who will follow. It is a chance to add a new chapter to the Park story — one that continues far beyond Graduation through the experiences of future students. A legacy gift such as this builds on years of philanthropic history and pays forward the generosity of the families who came before and built the foundation for our current students to flourish. Now, Grade 8 families have the opportunity to carry on that legacy with a gift that will support future generations of Park students and families, extending the impact of their time at Park for years to come.
Phase III — the last chapter of The SPARK Campaign — is fully underway, with over $8.5 million raised toward a $20 million goal. Centered on a bold redesign of Park’s Backyard, this phase will transform the way students experience and connect with the School’s 34 acres.
The SPARK Campaign has already reshaped campus in profound ways: the Turf Field and Ropes Course, the Robotics Lab and Maker Wing, and sweeping upgrades across the Main Building have all been made possible by the generosity of hundreds of Park families. Their gifts represent gratitude for what Park has meant in the lives of their children, and how collective investment can shape the educational experience of every student who will follow.
With a combined impact of $500,000 or more for Phase III, The Last Chapter Challenge will help the School reach critical fundraising milestones as we work toward our anticipated groundbreaking in March 2027. We are deeply grateful to the anonymous Grade 8 family whose extraordinary generosity made this challenge possible, and to every Class of 2026 family who has and will answer the call.
To learn more or to make a gift, contact Shannon O’Leary, Director of Development, at olearys@parkschool.org.