Habitat for Humanity is known throughout the world for building affordable housing. Building simple, decent, affordable homes lies at the heart of the Habitat for Humanity movement. Learning the art of residential construction, however, can be daunting for those new to the field. Here's your chance to learn some basic construction skills in the safety of a classroom environment.
Habitat University offers a series of courses for build volunteers; to provide knowledge and some skill practice in Habitat home construction. Participants will learn terminology, Habitat building methods, and the basics of site safety and operations.
100 Level Classes are at the Habitat Toronto Office, 120 Eglinton Ave. E., Suite 600, M4P 1E2
200 Level Classes are at the ReStore Etobicoke, 7 Queen Elizabeth Blvd. M8Z 1L9
Habitat University 100 (Introduction to Habitat for Humanity Toronto)
New Volunteer Super Session: Weekly 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Habitat 101 with Neil Hetherington, CEO: Once per quarter, visit upcoming events
HU200 courses are designed as a general introduction to construction tools and techniques for people who have little to no prior experience in this area. This will give a new volunteer the basics of what they will need to know prior to going on to a Habitat build site. The course is offered in 2 parts over 2 weeks. *
Please note that the first Monday class of every month will offered to Women only. This course will be led by a female instructor, when possible. (contact
Arundel Gibson, VP of People).
HU 200 – Introduction to a Habitat Build Site
In this course students will learn:
- A high level overview of how to build a house
- Tool identification and use
- Familiarization with lumber, drywall and other basic building materials
- Safe tool operation
- Plenty of hands on experience using the various tools and equipment
Crew Leader TrainingFor volunteers who have taken all 200 level courses and have experienced a number of build days we encourage you to consider expanding your skills and knowledge in another area. Being a Crew Leader is an exciting opportunity for people who have a desire to lead, teach and mentor new volunteers.
HU-CL – Crew Leader Training – This course is recommended for New Crew Leaders and Crew Leaders in Training. Students upon completion of this course are required to complete volunteer shifts on the build site. A Site Supervisor may recommend the student for CL Shadowing Shifts before attaining full Crew Leader status. In this course students will learn:
• What are the primary responsibilities of a Crew Leader
• How to manage a Crew on a Habitat build site
• How to communicate effectively with crew members
• How to support HFHT’s goals of Safety, Quality, Fun on the build site