Reflections on Scaling: Supporting Vulnerable Youth Across BC

Sitting on a zoom meeting in early 2022, the Rideau Hall Foundation asked us: “why has Take a Hike been successful in scaling and growth, and how can what you’ve learned be applied to the education, mental health, and non-profit sectors?” What a gift their curiosity and investment has been.

For nearly a year we spent time reflecting deeply. We spoke to staff across the organization, past and present board members, and school district partners. One of our big learnings was that Take a Hike is successful through continued investments in our organizational capacity.

We could have never made the difference in the lives of youth across BC without the support of our long-standing donors.

These gifts have allowed us to invest in the impact of our program and focus on what we know is going to improve our ability to serve more youth effectively in the future. We also learned how well-respected we are in the education community. The Reflections on Scaling conversations with our school district partners really gave us the confidence to change the narrative and allowed us to be the experts in what we do.

We explored with our school district partners if there was any part of the program that wasn’t working and should be cut out and the answer was a resounding “no.”

Our school district partners acknowledged the comprehensive model that makes up Take a Hike with so many interdependent parts that support the development of youth. Removing one piece would impact the entire program and its powerful impact on young people in the program. This response enforced our approach and how we support the mental health and well-being of youth across BC. We were advised by many experts in education and scaling that we are on the right track with the program and in changing the lives of youth.

Thank you to donors for truly believing in vulnerable youth.

It’s so impactful for a young person to realize that there are people they don’t even know who care for them. When we tell youth this, at first, they don’t really believe it, but when they’ve been in the program for a year, they see it and really start to appreciate the role of donors and what support from people like you makes possible for them.

Thank you for prioritizing the lives of vulnerable youth in BC.

Gordon Matchett, CEO, Take a Hike Foundation