Harvest Academy

"I was inspired by the passion of everyone there. It was a good eye-opener for me and a way of reflecting on how I'm handling our clients -- and that they deserve more respect and understanding."

-- Sylvie Guerron, participant in a Harvest Academy workshop and volunteer with St. Vincent de Paul, St. Thomas Aquinas Food Bank (one of the agencies within North York Harvest's network).
 

The Harvest Academy provides ongoing professional development for our member agencies and prospective volunteers through learning opportunities that build skills and promote best practices. The workshops also create networking opportunities between agencies and foster a mutual understanding between member agency volunteers and service users.

The program awards credits for three component activities: attending workshops; completing an 18-hour placement; and food program enhancements. Community members work towards attaining certification as a “Community Food Program Leader” while member agencies are recognized with an “Excellence in Community Food Programming” certification.

The Harvest Academy is open to the following community members:

• Member Agency staff
• Member Agency volunteers
• People who are interested in volunteering and taking leadership roles at local community food programs

The Harvest Academy runs three sessions per year:

• Spring Session: February-May (download schedule)
• Summer Session: June-July 
• Fall Session: September-November