2025 spark of hudson programming themes
Since the opening of The Spark Building in summer 2024, we have been asked the following question almost daily:
What is Spark?
That’s a really good question—one I even had trouble putting into words at the beginning of my time here.
When I first started as a Spark Community Coordinator back in August 2024, I was amazed and slightly overwhelmed by the multitude of initiatives The Spark had implemented in the City of Hudson. When curious building visitors asked, “What is Spark?” I almost didn’t know where to start because, well, we’re a lot of things!
I would explain, “We started HudsonUP—a flagship initiative piloting Universal Basic Income (UBI) in Hudson; HudsonNEST—a communal housing program for students enrolled in local education or healthcare programs; and HudsonSTEP—a one-year workforce training program in building construction technology,” trying my best to convey the breadth of initiatives we had underway to support the Hudson community.
What I soon realized, however, was that folks coming into The Spark Building—our three-story, state-of-the-art community hub at 502 Union Street—really wanted to know, “What’s happening here, in this building?”
Initiatives like HudsonUP, STEP, and NEST, though foundational to the mission of Spark, were instituted before the opening of The Spark Building. Now, with Circles Bagels and the CoLab up and running, we realized it was time to activate the building with a year of our very own Spark Programs. This task was exciting, but daunting, to say the least. We dove headfirst into planning mode.
After countless cups of coffee and some intense brainstorming sessions, our team kept coming back to the same question: “What kinds of programs will support Hudson residents, given the social, political, and economic state of the city—and beyond—in 2025?” We turned to Spark of Hudson’s values of empowerment, collaboration, inclusivity, and learning together (to name a few) for thematic inspiration and decided on the following four programming themes to serve as the cornerstones of The Spark Building’s 2025 programming:
Below are the 2025 Spark of Hudson Program Themes:
Civic Engagement: Empowering residents to participate in local governance and civic life
Community Resilience: Building practical skills and systems for sustainability, preparedness, and mutual support
Intergenerational Learning: Fostering relationships and shared wisdom across generations
Technology, Media, and Misinformation: Developing critical digital literacy skills to navigate today’s media and information landscapes
Check out our Events Page to see The Spark of Hudson’s upcoming programs inspired by our programming themes.
Do you or your organization have programming ideas that align with these themes? Apply to host them at The Spark Building HERE.
