Lila Silvern, pictured with her sons Drew and Eric, is the founder of the Drew Silvern affiliate, a non-profit chapter of Scholarship America, Dollars for Scholars. 

When Lila retired in 2002 from the Los Angeles Unified School District, she was honored with a gift and a request that it be used for a scholarship to honor her son, Drew, who died of brain cancer in 1997.  Because of her work as the Director of an educational program for children of migrant workers and her son’s work as an education journalist, she wanted to grant the awards to high school seniors who qualified for the LAUSD Migrant Education Program. 

Lila learned of Dollars for Scholars, a national organization that offered the guidelines and assistance needed for starting an educational foundation. A strong impetus for affiliation with Dollars for Scholars was their partnership with colleges and universities that matched chapter funding. 

 For more information about scholarship awards please visit  
Drew Silvern Dollars for Scholars, a program of Scholarhip America.