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 2020 Impact
Our Work in the Community
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 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 is proud to support Community Investment Councils (CICs) in 12 major offices and distribution centers across the United States and Ireland. CICs are local employee groups that help engage colleagues in volunteer opportunities and charitable campaigns to improve communities nearby and around the world. CICs also help execute global employee programs on a local scale, such as HMH Volunteer Week and our company-wide book club, One Book, One HMH. CICs provide a platform for HMH employees to give back to the communities in which they live and work.
Research tells us that more than 60 percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes, putting those children at a disadvantage when they enter school. At HMH, we want to ensure more children gain access to high-quality books and educational materials. We do that through our book donation program—HMH Books for Equity. We proudly donate our award-winning educational materials, children’s stories, and adult and reference titles—roughly 1 million books annually—with the goal of bolstering home libraries for those most in need. Through our partnerships with nonprofits including First Book, World Vision, Save the Children, and hundreds of others we are able to reach children and families in underserved communities throughout the United States and around the world.
"With partners like HMH, Save the Children is able to put high-quality books into the hands and homes of children. The impact of the books and resources for our children and families is immeasurable; it's a first step toward leveling the playing field!"
Nonprofit Partnerships
We proudly partner with City Year in classrooms throughout the country. We selected City Year as our main nonprofit partner in launching HMH Classroom Corps because of a shared focus on advancing student outcomes and in-school volunteer service. HMH proudly sponsors the team of City Year AmeriCorps members at Boston’s UP Academy Dorchester, and with the help of multiple City Year chapters, our employees volunteer in schools across the country. Our employees volunteer as guest readers, at field days, in afterschool programs, and though our very own Learning Forums—custom, interactive "fairs" for students with learning stations focused on literacy and math.
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 Newcomers Academy, where students can receive valuable writing guidance and feedback, support, and in-school tutoring throughout the year.
City Year helps to close gaps in high-need schools by supporting students' academic and social-emotional development.
826 Boston is a nonprofit youth writing and publishing organization that offers innovative programs to underserved students.
"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."
Sustainability
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 2020, HMH’s Sustainable Paper Practices Resulted in Saving the Equivalent of…
We saved 36,338 U.S. tons of paper—that’s approximately 388,860 trees.*
We saved 69,650,000 gallons of water, which is the amount of water needed to operate 48,910
washing machines for one year.*
We saved 196,894,000 pounds of CO2, which is equivalent to the CO2 produced by 17,905 cars in one year.*
*Environmental savings statistics provided by Bulkley Dunton, our global paper supplier who we partner with to procure HMH’s paper.
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).
Whenever possible, we aim to recycle our excess product. In 2020 We donated nearly 1 million books to 228 organizations via our book donation program, HMH Books for Equity, to avoid sending excess stock to landfills. We are also mindful of waste management at our locations: 96% 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.
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.
HMH is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of transporting products. In 2020, HMH saved 332,000 pounds of CO2 (equivalent of the electricity to charge 19,205,417 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 2020, HMH's participation saved 130,000 pounds of CO2 (the equivalent of planting 26 acres of forest).
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.
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.
