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Hudson, N.Y. — Hudson Senior High School’s Kindness Club provides work-based learning opportunities for students with disabilities through partnerships with local businesses, organizations and community agencies.
One of the program’s community partners is Olana State Historic Site, where students gain hands-on work experience through the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Throughout the 2026-27 school year, students will work alongside Olana staff, developing employment skills through landscaping and groundskeeping. Their responsibilities include weeding, trimming trails, caring for gardens and landscaped areas and helping maintain the historic site’s grounds.
Through this work, students practice workplace skills such as following directions, working as part of a team, staying on task, communicating with supervisors and co-workers.
A meaningful part of the partnership is the story of Patrick Tompkins, a former Hudson Senior High School Kindness Club student who participated in the Olana internship while he was in high school.
The experience helped Tompkins develop workplace skills and confidence in his abilities. After completing the internship, he was hired to work at Olana, where he has been employed for the past three years.
Now, Tompkins helps supervise and guide current Kindness Club students as they gain their own work experience at Olana.
“Seeing Patrick go from being a Kindness Club student to working at Olana and now helping supervise our students is incredibly meaningful,” said Lisa Foronda Schmitt, Hudson Senior High School Kindness Club teacher. “It shows our students that these experiences can lead to real employment opportunities. Patrick is a wonderful role model because he understands firsthand what it means to be a student in this program and to transition into the workforce.”
Through the partnerships with Olana and other community organizations, Kindness Club students are building employment skills, gaining confidence and contributing to their community in an authentic workplace setting. The partnership will continue throughout the 2026-27 school year.
