Villa Charities Inc. is excited to announce their partnership with Eataly, the largest Italian retail and dining experience in the world, in support of the Villa Charities Culinary Scholarship at George Brown College. This initiative strengthens the relationship between the two prominent Italian organizations launched in 2019, with a focus on supporting the next generation of culinary talent and helping to elevate their professional careers with invaluable experiences in the nuance of Italian cuisine and culture. To celebrate this new co-sponsorship, the 2023/2024 Culinary Scholarship will be renamed to the Villa Charities & Eataly Italian Culinary Program Scholarship.
The collaboration reinforces Villa Charities’ commitment to supporting students in their academic endeavours who will help further their mission of enriching lives through experiences and services that honour Italian culture. As part of this partnership, Eataly will additionally provide in-kind support of Villa Charities Foundation’s key 2024 fundraising events including Ferragosto and the new VCF signature event planned for the fall.
Prior to Eataly opening their first Canadian location in November 2019 in Yorkville’s Manulife Centre, Villa Charities hosted an exclusive pre-opening event to welcome the global Italian food brand to the Italian Canadian community in Toronto. In March 2020, Eataly named Villa Charities as one of their official charities of choice and has supported the non-profit organization since then with food product donations and other collaborations.
Scholarship Program includes a total of 16 scholarships valued at $60,000. Eight of the sixteen scholarships are awarded through Villa Charities Foundation in support of undergraduate and graduate-level studies in a variety of disciplines. The remaining eight scholarships are awarded through George Brown College in Toronto, in support of students pursuing a degree in Architectural Studies or Culinary Arts. Five students will receive The Villa Charities Renzo Pillon Memorial Scholarship and ten students will be the recipient of the rebranded Villa Charities & Eataly Italian Culinary Program Scholarship. Since launching the Villa Charities Scholarship Program in 2020, $240,000 in scholarships have been awarded to students.
In October 2023, ten awards of $2,000 each were presented to the following full-time students enrolled in the Italian Culinary Program at George Brown College:
- Govind Aggarwal • Bhavuk Chugh
- Isabella Rosa Comello • Ankit Dhingra
- Andy Joseph Gonsalves
- Shivam Goyal
- Connor Richard McNichol • Vandit Chirag Vaishnav • Tanmay Chandrakant Vaity • Connor William Underwood
Eligible students were required to have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, demonstrate leadership through community involvement or volunteering, as well as exhibit strong interest for their field of study and passion for future academic and professional goals in relation to Italian heritage and culture.
The selection and adjudication process was conducted by the George Brown College Awards Selection Committee. Scholarships awarded through Villa Charities Foundation will support the students’ tuition fees for the 2023/2024 academic year.