“The HLF has played an important role in helping Hudson students see themselves as good readers and writers. The Fund’s programs have had a big impact on thousands of Hudson kids over the years.”
— Dr. Maria Lagana Suttmeier, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools Emerita
OUR MISSION
We define literacy in very broad terms: a willingness to engage with language to understand and find meaning in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In all our programs we strive to encourage and bolster Hudson students’ belief in their ability to read, write, and fully express themselves.
Our tools are books, words, mentors, authors, and in-school programs. We know that building students’ confidence as readers and writers will form a strong foundation for their future successes.
In the Hudson City School District, approximately 70% of students live below the poverty line, designating 100% of the student population eligible for free lunch. The student body, from Pre-K through the twelfth grade, includes children and young adults who embrace more than a dozen ethnicities and who face many different challenges, including “English as a New Language,” physical and learning disabilities, and food insecurity. Our students experienced additional stress during the COVID pandemic, the loss of learning focus being just one of them. The Hudson Literacy Fund recognizes that circumstances can make it difficult for students to thrive and embraces reading as the gateway skill to success in their adulthood. Our work is designed to focus and support children by sustaining a culture of literacy within the schools and community.
OUR HISTORY
We established our Fund in 2013 as a 501C3 to support the Hudson Children’s Book Festival (HCBF), as well as reading and writing activities in all grades. That first year, our goal was to get more Hudson kids in the Hudson City School District (which includes kids living in Hudson, Claverack, Greenport, Stockport, and Livingston) to the Festival. We gave 400 “Good For” vouchers to students, coupons that they could redeem at the Festival for a free book. Students could choose any book, meet the author, and have a book inscribed with their name. The program was a success, and we continued it in the years that followed. Since 2017, “Good For” vouchers have been given to every single Hudson student, and more than 5,000 kids have redeemed their voucher. An additional benefit of the “Good For” program is an increase in whole-family attendance at the HCBF, giving parents and children an activity centered on books and reading.
Since we began we have:
- Given 5000 books to kids with “Good For” coupons.
- Donated about 3000 new books to Hudson City School District Libraries.
- Provided scholarships to college-bound seniors.
- Expanded our Young Writers Competition with cash awards in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
- Implemented our popular “Thumbs Up” program, with more than 5000 books read and reviewed.
- Run the “One School, One Book” program for all 3rd Graders to read and share one book together during the Pandemic.
- Given 100 Desks and Earbuds to Virtual Learners to help them better learn at home.
- Launched “Sharing Our Stories” writing program.