Hudson River Museum Awarded Major Grant from Eugene M. Lang Foundation
YONKERS, NY, March 14, 2023—Hudson River Museum is honored to announce a major grant of $50,000 from Eugene M. Lang Foundation over two years in support of the HRM’s award-winning Junior Docent teen leadership program.
The Museum’s Junior Docent Program, now in its twenty-eighth year, is an after-school leadership and youth development program that serves students (Grades 9–12) from public high schools throughout Yonkers. It is a nationally recognized model for teen programming that annually provides approximately 70 at-risk youth with services and expands their knowledge of art, science, and history, while building and strengthening their skills in communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and leadership. Over the course of four years, the participants develop a knowledge and mastery of the Museum’s permanent collection, and through our environmental teaching programs and planetarium, they learn science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) concepts presented during trainings and public programs.
Many Junior Docents are first generation or recent immigrants to the United States; many are also the first in their family to go to college. The Museum’s extensive College Readiness Series guides the Junior Docents through SAT/ACTs, college visits, interview preparation, the application process, financial literacy for their parents and caregivers, and more. Since its inception in 1995, 100% of Junior Docents who have completed the Program have been accepted to college. The 2022 graduating class is currently in their first year at esteemed colleges including Barnard College, New York University, University of Virginia, Binghamton University, CUNY Macaulay Honors Program, Seton Hall, and RIT. Together, they garnered approximately $3.4 million in scholarship offers.
Lauren McGrail, Executive Director, Eugene M. Lang Foundation, states, “We are thrilled to be able to support this exemplary program that enriches the lives of high school students in Yonkers and provides them with critical communications and leadership skills and the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of a museum.”
“We are profoundly grateful to the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for being a partner in the success of our Hudson River Museum Junior Docents,” said Masha Turchinsky, Director and CEO. “Their impactful support enables us to provide teens with valuable leadership skills that serve them throughout their lives, education, and careers: observation, problem-solving, innovation, and critical thinking. The Foundation is helping our Junior Docents become positive and creative changemakers in society.”
About Eugene M. Lang Foundation
The Eugene M. Lang Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1963 that seeks to effect change in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and human services, and justice. The Foundation prioritizes giving to programs and organizations that are demonstrably creative in concept and excellent in substance; that elevate people’s spirits, goals and capacities above the level of basic needs, primarily through opportunities for meaningful education, participation in the arts and civic activity, and enhanced health education and social services; and that promote inventiveness and entrepreneurship.
Press contact:
Jeana Wunderlich
jwunderlich@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x240
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Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. Situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, the HRM’s mission is to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.
The Museum offers engaging experiences for every age and interest, with an ever-growing collection of American art; dynamic exhibitions that range from notable nineteenth-century paintings to contemporary art installations; Glenview, an 1877 house on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art Planetarium; an environmental teaching gallery; and an outdoor Amphitheater. Accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), the Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting these multidisciplinary offerings, which are complemented by an array of public programs that encourage creative expression, collaboration, and artistic and scientific discovery.
Hours and Admission: Hudson River Museum is open Thursday–Sunday, 12–5pm. Mask wearing and COVID-19 vaccination are no longer required, but are recommended for all visitors. Learn more at hrm.org/visit.
General Admission: Adults $10; Youth (3–18) $6; Seniors (62+) $7; Students (with valid ID) $7; Veterans $7; Children (under 3) FREE; Members FREE; Museums for All* $2, *SNAP/EBT card with photo ID (up to 4 people). Planetarium tickets: Adults $6; Youth (3–18) $4; Seniors (62+) $5; Students (with valid ID) $5; Veterans $5; Children (under 3) Free. Glenview tours: Adults $6; Youth (3–18) $4; Seniors (62+) $5; Students (with valid ID) $5; Veterans $5; Children (under 3) Free. The Museum is accessible by Metro-North (Hudson Line—Yonkers and Glenview stations), by Bee-Line Bus Route #1, by car, and by bike. Make your visit a One-Day Getaway, and buy a combined rail and admission discount ticket. Learn more about Metro-North Deals & Getaways.
