A Life-Changing Program
“Take a Hike gave me something to live for, and it gave me goals and motivation. I thought I was going to drop out of high school at 16, and now I love learning. ”
The Need for Take a Hike
Approximately one in seven school-aged children in BC experience one or more mental health issues.
Only one third receive the specialized mental health treatments they need.
Between 50-70% of mental health and substance use issues show up before the age of 18.
The number one determinant of youth mental health is school connectedness, superceding family connectedness.
A Proven Model
The Take a Hike program model is supported by twenty years of practice-based evidence, academic research, and hundreds of youth realizing success.
Take a Hike empowers vulnerable youth to change the trajectory of their lives with a full-time mental health and emotional well-being program embedded in an alternate education classroom. Partnering with public school districts across BC, we engage youth in intensive, continuous clinical counselling, outdoor experiential learning, and community, supporting youth to develop the skills and resilience they need to graduate high school, build healthy relationships, and navigate their own path to success.
Academics
Our public school partners offer high-quality education that leads to high school graduation. Cross-curricular and experiential learning are the norm, with academics integrated into 65% of non-classroom days.
Clinical Counselling
A unique feature of the program is a full-time registered clinical counsellor embedded in each classroom, to provide early intervention and prevention mental health supports. For many youth, Take a Hike is their first encounter with clinical counselling.
Adventure
Take a Hike uses the outdoors and adventure to engage youth in academics, clinical counselling, and community, with weekly field trips and two to three multi-day wilderness trips each year.
Regular exposure to nature increases physical, mental, and well-being outcomes, and can increase cognitive control and strengthen attentional processes. Removed from everyday stressors and distractions, the natural world helps youth self-regulate and engage in self-reflection.
Community
Connection and belonging are at the heart of our program. Staff develop safe and caring relationships with youth before any work takes place. Over 40 volunteers supported our program last year, providing youth with a direct experience of the wider community who care about their well-being. Each week our youth volunteer with local organizations to give back to their community for the support they receive in the program, and in turn youth come to appreciate the impact and value of their contributions.
The Journey to Success
Transitioning to a new program and discovering self-belief and success after experiencing challenges in the mainstream school system, is a gradual process for youth.
Program Locations
Take a Hike has six program locations across five B.C. school districts:
Vancouver grade 10/11
Vancouver grade 11/12
West Kootenays grade 10-12
Burnaby grade 10-12
Delta grade 10-12
Nanaimo grade 10-12
