Our Story
Our Mission
We inspire students to become advanced biliterate, globally competent leaders through immersive language education, academic excellence, and a nurturing community where every child is known, challenged, and empowered to thrive.
Our Vision
We envision a world where children grow into confident, compassionate, and globally competent leaders who bridge cultures, embrace diverse perspectives, and make meaningful contributions in an interconnected world.
Founder Sharon Huang with students in 2005
How It Began
HudsonWay's story began with one parent's vision
In 2005, founder Sharon Huang was searching for a Mandarin preschool where her twin boys could become truly fluent. When she discovered that the school she envisioned didn't exist, she decided to create it.
What began as a small Mandarin immersion preschool in her New Jersey home soon grew into Bilingual Buds, a thriving school of seven teachers and 72 students. As families sought a longer-term immersion experience, the school continued to grow—adding Spanish, expanding into elementary and middle school, and opening a New York campus.
Bilingual Buds eventually became HudsonWay Immersion School, the first independent Mandarin and Spanish immersion school in the Tri-State Area offering a continuous Preschool–Grade 8 education.
Today, HudsonWay serves hundreds of students across New York and New Jersey, building on the same vision that inspired its founding.
Our Educational Philosophy
We believe language is more than a subject to be learned - it is a way of thinking, understanding, and connecting with the world. Through immersive language education, children develop not only advanced biliteracy, but also the confidence, empathy, curiosity and perspective to thrive in an interconnected world.
Our educational philosophy is grounded in these core beliefs:
- Language is a way of thinking. Students learn to communicate, solve problems, and understand the world through another language.
- Every child is capable of more. With high expectations and individualized support, children achieve beyond what they thought possible.
- Academic excellence and immersion go hand in hand. Rigorous academics and language learning strengthen one another, building confident, capable learners.
- Every child is known. Meaningful relationships with exceptional teachers ensure students feel supported, challenged, and empowered to reach their full potential.
- Global competence is developed through experience. Students build empathy, embrace diverse perspectives, and become prepared to lead and contribute in an increasingly interconnected world.
Our Values
Inspired by our Eagle Mascot, EAGLE represents the values that guide our community and the qualities we strive to develop in every student.
✓ Excellence
Pursuing growth with curiosity, resilience, and purpose.
✓ Advanced Biliteracy
Thinking, communicating, and creating in more than one language.
✓ Global Competence
Understanding diverse cultures and perspectives.
✓ Leadership
Using one's voice to inspire, serve, and make a difference.
✓ Empathy
Building meaningful relationships with kindness and respect.
HudsonWay at a Glance
20+
years as New York and New Jersey's first Mandarin and Spanish full immersion independent school
3
3 divisions: Preschool 2’s through Grade 8
80%
Approximately 80% of families do not speak the target language at home
3
Languages - Mandarin or Spanish immersion tracks and English
2
Campuses, one unified educational philosophy
70%
Approximately 70% students of color
100%
of graduates earn the Global Seal of Biliteracy
10-35
English and Math standardized test scores are 10-35 points above the Independent School norm
27
Families and staff represent 27 countries
90%
of graduates are accepted to one of their top-choice schools
80+
teachers and staff across both campuses
20,000+
sq ft on each campus