Take a Hike Delta
In partnership with SD 37 and based at Delview Secondary.
Opened in 2019 and serves up to 17 youth.
For intake information, please contact the Richard Kirincic at 604.952.5387 (available September – June).
Applicants will be interviewed, and notified of their status. Upon acceptance to the program, youth must sign a medical clearance form before attending classes.
Take a Hike empowers vulnerable youth through a full-time mental health and emotional well-being program embedded in an alternate education classroom. Over the past 25 years, Take a Hike has supported over 1,000 youth, to change the trajectory of their lives.
Take a Hike partnered with School District 37 in February 2019 to open the Delta program at Delview Secondary School. Together, we engage up to 17 youth each year by combining high quality education with intentional, continuous clinical counselling, community initiatives, and land-based learning. We empower youth with the skills and resilience they need to graduate high school, build healthy relationships, and achieve success – however they define it.
As the youth mental health crisis continues to grow across Canada, the demand for Take a Hike’s transformative program is rising. Take a Hike demonstrates the powerful combination of mental health supports and land-based learning, as youth report a greater sense of purpose, community and self-awareness and are more likely to graduate high school.
The impact of Take a Hike’s approach is clear:
100%
graduation rate in the Delta Program in 2024
76%
report significant mental health improvements
96%
of youth reported learning skills and knowledge to be successful in the workplace
Youth in the Delta program regularly explore the outdoors and take part in community-building experiences that connect them to the land and each other. From snowshoeing at Dog Mountain and hiking Jug Island to canoeing along Deas Island, each outing offers new opportunities to learn, grow, and challenge themselves in new ways. On a multi-day trip to Pitt Lake and Widgeon Falls, some youth experienced camping for the first time, with a flexible one-night option making the trip more accessible. Highlights included paddling to nearby islands, spotting bears from a safe distance, and climbing through caves formed by boulders. Experiences like these help youth stretch their comfort zones, build trust, and strengthen connections with themselves, their peers, and the natural world.
