Corporate Social Responsibility

Partnering with underserved schools and communities to unlock student potential

Elevating potential

At HMH®, we are committed to partnering with schools and communities to unlock student potential and provide opportunities for all students to thrive. We empower our employees to participate in our Corporate Social Responsibility efforts in a number of ways, including an annual company-wide Volunteer Week; our signature volunteer program, HMH Classroom Corps, with its ongoing employee-led service projects; two days of paid volunteer time off for each employee per year; and a matching gifts program. We also support environmental sustainability efforts across the company in partnership with our Supply Chain and Procurement colleagues.

Our 2021 Impact

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    More than 9,480 students served through employee volunteerism

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    10 employee-led Community Investment Councils

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    7,050 volunteer hours logged

Our Work in the Community

Extending our reach through community-wide initiatives

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    HMH Classroom Corps

    HMH Classroom Corps, launched in partnership with nonprofit City Year®, deploys HMH volunteers into schools across the country, enabling our employees to make an impact with students and teachers. Through their in-school (and virtual) volunteer service, our employees gain key perspectives of what it’s like to be in the classroom, which in turn allows us to better connect with and serve our customers.

The [Classroom Corps] experience was wonderful! I enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with students and teachers for the day, especially as a new employee—it really brought our mission to life!

HMH Employee, Boston Office
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    Community Investment Councils

    HMH is proud to support Community Investment Councils (CICs), comprised of employees who are passionate about community service. CICs align with our major office locations and distribution centers across the United States and Ireland and for the first time ever in 2021, a Remote CIC was formed to engage homebased colleagues who are spread across the United States. CIC members engage colleagues in volunteer opportunities and charitable campaigns year-round and are instrumental in planning HMH’s annual Volunteer Week.

Nonprofit Partnerships

Collaborating to advance student outcomes

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    City Year

    With our shared mission of building a more equitable future for all students, City Year is a key partner for HMH. We proudly sponsor the team of City Year AmeriCorps members who serve at the Young Achievers Science and Mathematics Pilot School in Boston. HMH employees volunteer with City Year throughout the country, both in person and virtually, on service projects, in afterschool programs, and though our very own Learning Forums—custom, interactive "fairs" for students with learning stations focused on literacy and math.

    learn more about city year
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    826 Boston

    826 Boston works to empower traditionally underserved students ages 6–19 to find their voices, tell their stories, and gain communication skills to succeed in school and life. HMH has proudly partnered with 826 Boston for several years. Employees have volunteered as writing tutors, guest editors, mentors to help students craft and refine college essays, and more. HMH sponsors the 826 Boston Writers' Room at Boston International Newcomers Academy, where students can receive valuable writing guidance and feedback, support, and in-school tutoring throughout the year.

    learn more about 826 boston

Without Volunteer Week, I believe that many of us would not be in a position to do something in our communities. So I am truly grateful to HMH for allowing us to volunteer and in doing so, allowing us to do so as a team.

HMH Employee, Dublin Office

Sustainability

Doing our part to keep the planet safe for future learners

Throughout our history as a company, HMH has uplifted the voices of authors who protect our environment and call on readers to do the same: From Ralph Waldo Emerson’s and Henry David Thoreau’s writings on the natural world, to Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking 1962 book, Silent Spring, which gave birth to the modern environmental movement. We have valued these ideas in the past and we prioritize them today. We are committed to making environmentally responsible choices in order to serve our teachers, students, and readers for years to come.

In 2021, HMH’s Sustainable Paper Practices Resulted in Saving the Equivalent of…

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    220,323 trees

    We saved 11,312 U.S. tons of paper—that’s approximately 220,323 trees.*

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    Water for 63,653 washing machines

    We saved 87,204,000 gallons of water, which is the amount of water needed to operate 63,653 washing machines for one year.*

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    The CO2 produced by 23,367 cars

    We saved 148,733,000 pounds of CO2, which is equivalent to the CO2 produced by 23,367 cars in one year.*

*Environmental savings statistics provided by Bulkley Dunton, HMH's global paper supplier.

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    Responsible Paper Usage

    Responsibly sourcing, using and disposing of the paper in our products is key to our sustainability efforts. Our Paper Sourcing and Usage Policy reflects our renewed goals and commitments for 2019–2022, building on the incredible progress made under our prior policy (2014–2018).

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    Waste Management and Recycling

    Whenever possible, we aim to recycle our excess product. We are also mindful of waste management at our locations: 95% of the waste generated at HMH's Distribution Centers is recycled. We work to increase employee awareness and engagement regarding recycling with in-office bins and signage.

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    Energy Use

    We strive to reduce energy consumption at our distribution centers, warehouses, and offices through conversion to high-efficiency fluorescent bulbs, motion sensor lighting, energy-efficient HVAC and heating units, and LED light fixtures. Our many remote location positions also contribute to the reduction in facility energy use and employee transportation fuel consumption. HMH’s headquarters in Boston has received the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification for Existing Buildings™, which is the second highest LEED Certification level attainable.

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    Transportation

    HMH is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of transporting products. In 2021, HMH saved 725,321 pounds of CO2 (equivalent of the electricity to charge 40,020,431 smart phones) with intentional transportation methods, including consolidating shipments and utilizing direct shipping from vendors to end recipients. HMH also participates in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay program, which helps companies advance supply chain sustainability by measuring, benchmarking, and improving freight transportation efficiency. In 2021, HMH's participation saved 187,393 pounds of CO2 (the equivalent of planting 104 acres of forest).

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    Climate Change

    We know we have an important role to play in helping to combat and mitigate the effects of climate change. We are committed to making environmentally responsible choices in our business practices and, just as we continue to learn and grow in other areas of our company, we strive for continual improvement in our sustainability efforts. We are in the process of expanding our company-wide sustainability program and are working to take action on climate change and conservation.

The Future of Sustainability at HMH

At HMH, we have embraced a digital first, connected strategy to best serve our customers, who have a growing need for dynamic, connected digital products and solutions. This trend, one we have seen coming in our increasingly digital world, has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools shift to digital resources and a 1:1 student-to-device ratio becomes universal, print materials, while still important, have become increasingly supplemental. As customers use fewer print products, we use fewer natural resources and reduce our reliance on transportation to deliver print materials, which benefits the environment.

HMH is committed to improving, innovating and accelerating our company-wide sustainability efforts in all areas material to our business, keeping our planet safe while serving students, teachers, and life-long learners.

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