In the 2023-2024 school year, Harmony Movement will be launching a new initiative, the Social Changemakers Leadership Program. We will work with four school communities in York Region and Simcoe County to offer a semester-long training program for students, educators, and parents/caregivers. 

The 16-week-long Social Changemakers Leadership Program will:

• Empower youth and build their capacity so they can create a school community-wide engagement event/initiative to promote inclusion and challenge discrimination
• Engage the whole school community including educators, administrators, parents/caregivers and other students
• Provide ongoing supports over 16 weeks for youth by creating a support system in the school and with other students in the community through a youth cohort

The program includes building up educator capacity to support youth and delivering youth knowledge and leadership development programs that will provide the tools and support for youth to use their voice and lead initiatives to address inequities in their school.

We know this program has the power to change youth experiences in schools and begin to shift whole school communities and cultures. 

We need your support to make this program a reality. 

Educational institutions have spent many years dedicated to advancing the work of equity and inclusion in our school communities. In the last few years, there has been an increased interest from schools in ensuring they are creating spaces where students can be academically and personally successful regardless of their identities. 

Through our programming, we know that 1 in 3 students feel excluded in their school . Educators and administrators often feel they do not have the skills, tools, and resources required to empower and engage the broader school community in conversations about how to create a sense of belonging for everyone.

In our effort to strengthen the work of equity and inclusion in a meaningful and impactful way, Harmony Movement recognizes the need for consistent and ongoing support from students, parents/caregivers, educators, and administrators. But they cannot do this work alone. 

We have youth from equity-seeking groups that need and want this program, we have schools that are committed to supporting youth, but what we are missing is you! 

We are raising funds to subsidize the program costs, with a goal of $15,000. 

• $40 provides one youth with two weeks of training
• $250 provides Empowering Student Voice training to one educator
• $320 provides one youth with 16 weeks of leadership development, skills training, and support as they develop and deliver an initiative addressing an equity issue in their school
• $500 delivers a parent/caregiver session where youth share their stories and experiences back to their school community
• $7,500 provides one school with the full sixteen-week program

What you'll receive as a supporter:

• For individuals, a tax receipt for your donation
• Quarterly updates on the progress of the program
• An impact report sharing stories from the initiatives delivered by the youth and a summary of their experiences and learnings
• For donations over $250, you'll receive a free ticket to attend our Harmony Awards Community Gala taking place in November 2023 in Toronto, ON
• For donations over $1,000 get recognized as a sponsor or supporter on our website
• For donations over $2,500 get recognized as a major sponsor or major donor, get thanked during the program delivery, get recognition on our website, and get thanked in a social media post

For corporate donors, feel free to reach out directly to jyanishewski@harmony.ca if you would like to discuss additional opportunities to support this program. 

Have questions about this program or looking for more information? Email info@harmony.ca or phone 416-669-2051 we would be happy to share more details about the intended impact and goals for this program. 

Note: All individual donations processed through this page with the contact details provided will receive a tax receipt from our registered charity Harmony Education Foundation (registration #871889168RR0001).