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Rehabilitation through the Arts
We are grateful to partner with Rehabilitation through the Arts, an organization which shares our belief in the transformative power of the arts. We are working with RTA on two projects:
1) Three Hudson Valley Writers Center volunteers lead weekly memoir writing workshop for Incarcerated men at Wallkill Correctional Facility. This program helps men living in prison find their voice through writing. The goal is to teach a skill, while also fostering self esteem, self worth, and companionship. “A word they have used is dehumanizing. Prison is dehumanizing. Our work together is humanizing," says one of the HVWC volunteers. The participants will end the program with a reading of their work.
2) As part of RTA’s Reimagining Myself project, the Hudson Valley Writers Center pairs professional playwrights (who teach or volunteer at HVWC) with formerly incarcerated women who are writing plays about various aspects of re entry into society. The plays will be performed at various NY State prisons to help men and women prepare for the challenges they will face when they return to their families and community. Many of the plays will be filmed as well to allow broader distribution throughout the RTA system.
HVWC
Outreach
The Hudson Valley Writers Center partners with several outstanding organizations throughout our community to bring language and the literary arts to many who have not had access in the past.
Writers Express Afterschool Program in Partnership with the White Plains Middle School
The Writers Express Afterschool Program is a new outreach initiative designed to bring tuition-free literary programming to youth in Westchester County. Pairs of Teaching Artist Interns from SUNY Purchase College will lead weekly 1 hour creative writing after school sessions for middle school students at the White Plains Middle School. This paid professional development opportunity will aid interns in generating income in the arts post-graduation by offering interactive, in-person experience facilitating a youth program and sufficient experience to submit proposals to nonprofits nationwide.
This project is made possible with funds from Arts Alive, a regrant program of
ArtsWestchester with support from the Office of the Governor, the New York State
Legislature, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Horseman Family Saturdays at the Tarrytown Schools
Once a month during the school year, the public schools of the Tarrytowns hosts Horseman Family Saturdays at Sleepy Hollow High School. The goal is for families of all backgrounds to break bread together over a meal, and be in community through family-friendly games, enrichment activities and community connections. As a community partner, the Hudson Valley Writers Center facilitates activities for young children that foster a love of creativity and self-expression.
Children’s Village
Since before the pandemic, our founder Margo Stever developed both one on one and group writing courses for residents of The Children’s Village, concentrating on poetry, memoir and other creative outlets. In the past, poetry students have recited their work at our annual benefit gala held at the Writers Center. The Open Door Library program is a weekly literacy program for teenagers who need extra support run by Hudson Valley Writers Center volunteers. Over 80 students participate per year. The students publish a literary magazine at the end of each session.
The Children’s Village (CV) is committed to the wellbeing of children, teens, and families by advocating for, strengthening, and reuniting families; building community partnerships; creating innovative programs; and connecting people to resources that focus on equity, basic needs, and human rights.
RSHM Life Center
The Writing Your Story program at RSHM Life Center is a weekly memoir writing class for 5th & 6th grade students as an exciting opportunity to improve their writing through a creative form. The Life Center delivers a wide variety of programs to the immigrant community and beyond, serving toddlers to seniors. Their goal continues to be to empower and inspire all who come through their doors.Hudson Valley Writers Center volunteers have been running these classes since March 2025.
Historically, HVWC has taught poetry workshops in partnership with RSHM Life Center, but these classes were unfortunately halted due to the pandemic.
Community Partners
The Village Bookstore is an independent, family-owned store featuring hand-selected books, cards, journals and gifts. The store is conveniently located in downtown Pleasantville, NY just minutes away from the Saw Mill and Taconic Parkways across from the Jacob Burns Film Center.
Once home to the Rockefeller family, The Pocantico Center’s verdant campus in the scenic hills of the Hudson Valley has been host to some of the most influential leaders, thinkers, and creative minds of the last century. Today, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund continues to bring together people at Pocantico through a robust slate of conferences, artist residencies, tours, performances, exhibitions, and educational programs.
Tarrytown Arts Camp offers summer Multi-Arts Camps featuring music, art, dance, theater, creative writing, and culture.
The Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market – The TaSH – is a destination in Westchester County. Farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, artisanal breads and baked goods, meats, poultry, fish, craft spirits, farmhouse cheeses – it’s all here. But that’s just where it starts. The TaSH is set in historic Patriots Park on NY State Route 9, straddling the scenic Hudson River villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. Each Saturday, May through November, 50+ vendor stalls hug a sun-dappled, grassy lawn, where the best area musicians entertain. Kids dance and play, friends and families socialize, and everyone eats!
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), a 501c3 nonprofit, is the preeminent membership organization for children’s book creators. We are a global community of writers, illustrators, translators, publishers, librarians, advocates, and other industry professionals working to establish a more imaginative and inclusive world through the power of children’s literature. Our mission is to support the creation of an abundance of quality children’s books, so that young people everywhere have the books they need and deserve.
The Sleepy Hollow Arts Collective is dedicated to building community through artistic collaboration and education in the performing and visual arts.
The Children’s Village (CV) is committed to the wellbeing of children, teens, and families by advocating for, strengthening, and reuniting families; building community partnerships; creating innovative programs; and connecting people to resources that focus on basic needs and human rights.
The Masters School celebrates active participation, deep understanding, and meaningful connection. A community of diverse individuals, we gather to learn, to strive, to dare, to do — to be a power for good in the world.
Founded in 1970, Poets & Writers is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization serving creative writers. Our mission is to foster the professional development of poets and writers, to promote communication throughout the literary community, and to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public.
The Poetry Society of New York is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting poetry within our culture. We envision a world where poetry is not just celebrated, but vital and accessible to all: breaking down barriers, inspiring joy, and uplifting diverse voices. Rooted in the belief that poetry belongs to us all, our mission is to create experiences of poetry where people from all walks of life can explore, express, play, and find a sense of belonging. By prioritizing accessibility, experimentation, collaboration, and undeniable fun, we aim to foster community and innovation in the often stale and isolating literary sphere. Each of our programs offers an invitation into a vibrant poetry world specifically designed to stimulate discovery, wonder, and life-long friendships between artists.