Harvest House Living-Learning Community
Harvest House Living-Learning Community
The Harvest House Living-Learning Community (LLC) is an optional residential experience for first-year students where food serves as a common ground for building community.
In coordination with the Global Food Institute at GW, the Harvest House Living-Learning Community on GW’s Mount Vernon Campus is for first-year students who are passionate about food as a lens for living and learning.
This year-long residential experience is an exclusive opportunity for students to build strong connections with each other, as well as with members of other LLCs at the Mt. Vernon campus and beyond. Students will live in a community where they can have fun, find support and express their culture and identity through lots of cooking, talking and researching about the food system, from production to consumption.
Through immersive experiences, inclusive dialogue, and engaging programs, Harvest House students will approach academic and personal pursuits through the lens of food, exploring innovative solutions to food and sustainability-related challenges while ensuring health and well-being for themselves and the planet.
Pillars
Community
Through community-centered living and learning, students will build a deep sense of belonging, foster inclusivity through inviting new perspectives, and encourage mutual support among students, faculty, and campus partners.
Collaboration
Students will develop innovative, interdisciplinary partnerships across diverse fields of study to address complex food-related issues and bring light to the role of food in many facets of our society.
Culture
Food is not just sustenance – it’s how students express their identity, serving as means to explore history, art and the human experience.
Sustainability
Students will learn and promote practices that ensure the long-term health and well-being of people and the planet such as regenerative agriculture, culture and humanity, and food waste mitigation.
Education
First-year students in the Harvest House Living-Learning Community must take either a food-related University Writing Program course (UW 1020 level) or the first-year research seminar during the fall semester and the Introduction to Food Studies course during the spring semester. Students will work with their Academic Advisor prior to registering for their first-year courses. Education will be tied closely to the Food Leadership Minor, although Harvest House residents are not required to minor in Food Leadership.
Harvest House will work to host other educational opportunities, including guest speakers, fireside food chats, film screenings, book/podcast clubs, and more.
Action
In connection to GFI, Harvest House will provide its members opportunities to participate in cooking and gardening workshops, regularly scheduled discussions and seminars, and more. Students and faculty from diverse fields will come together to conduct interdisciplinary research to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Engagement
Harvest House students will be active members of the Washington, DC community, with opportunities ranging from community outreach events and learning opportunities like hosting farmers markets, maintaining a community garden, and volunteering with local food-focused organizations. Surrounded by peers who share their passion for food-related issues, students will gain a true sense of belonging at GW.
GFI and Harvest House will actively seek partnerships with organizations and individuals who bring new and diverse perspectives to the table. By amplifying overlooked voices and inviting new participants into critical conversations, the LLC ensures a rich and inclusive dialogue..
Placement Process and Timing
Upon acceptance into GW, interested first-year students can request placement in the Harvest House Living-Learning Community on the Housing Application. The Housing Application will open in late April with a section for opt-in special programming. Select the Harvest House LLC in this section.
Questions about GW’s Living-Learning Communities should be sent to Anthony Pohorilak, anthony [dot] pohorilak
gwu [dot] edu, Assistant Director for Academic Partnerships through Campus Living and Residential Education.