... I thought about it for a bit, and a realization came to me - Sudbury, as a whole, was different. The philosophy was obviously different than the compulsory schooling most kids were used to. The kids were nicer, funnier, and more social. The parents cared more about their children, and the staff didn’t take the job for any superficial reason - they loved kids, and they loved to teach them the way they were supposed to be taught...
-- Emma Boers, HVSS Alumni
The Hudson Valley Sudbury School (HVSS) in Woodstock, NY is an alternative school for students from kindergarten through high school. HVSS is based on the educational philosophy developed by the Sudbury Valley School in 1968.
Sudbury schools take a different approach to education. The Sudbury philosophy believes that success in life is determined by a person's character more than a specific body of knowledge. As a result of this belief, the structure of the school supports the development of qualities such as confidence, independence, resourcefulness, persistence and responsibility. With these qualities a person can easily obtain the knowledge they need to succeed. At Sudbury schools the students create their own curriculum. They exercise their rights and responsibilities as members of an active democracy. Most importantly, they accomplish the difficult task of defining themselves.