Kate Burch opened Harvest Collegiate High School in 2012 after a decade of experience in public schools, and a lifelong love of children, ideas and learning; thus was born a school to center its terrific students and the full flourishing of their Habits of Heart and Mind: Curiosity, Evidence, Perspective, Voice, Connection, Responsibility and Creative Contribution.  Before becoming a Principal in order to start Harvest, Kate was a teacher, advisor, service and college coordinator, and Professional Development Director. She grew up in Manhattan and graduated from Harvard College with a degree in History and Literature magna cum laude,  as well as serving as a research-writer on a book about the history of women entrepreneurs  Enterprising Women. She was privileged to learn from many cultures across the world, contributing to the travel guidebooks Let’s Go: Europe and Let’s Go: Roadtrip USA;  working on community projects in the Caribbean, India, France and in 2007 was a Yale University Fulbright-Hays Education Scholar to Ghana, West Africa. Kate wrote her master’s thesis in the Peace Education program at Teachers’ College, Columbia University on the philosophical proposal that would become Harvest Collegiate High School. The collaborative work of our school has been recognized for its positive results as a Blackboard Awardee for being a Rising Star School of Excellence, a New York Post "Hidden Gem," a UFT Team Award for Excellence through Collaboration, U.S. News and World Report “Best High Schools” and featured in the news for its innovation such as on  NY1 video and  ABC 7.  Kate was honored to receive the 2017 NY Daily News Hometown Hero Award for her commitment to the school’s mission of a “rich and challenging education” for the many wonderful students across the city of New York.