Take a Hike Nanaimo
In partnership with SD 68 and based at Learning Alternatives.
Opened in 2019 and serves up to 24 youth.
For intake information, please contact Chad Jobe (VP, Learning Services) at 250 754 5521 or cjobe@sd68.bc.ca (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 68 in September 2019 to open the Nanaimo program at Learning Alternatives. Together, we engage up to 24 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.
While in the Take a Hike program:
76%
report significant mental health improvements
96%
of youth reported learning skills and knowledge to be successful in the workplace
100%
graduation rate in the Nanaimo Program in 2024
Youth in the Nanaimo program regularly explore nature and engage in community building opportunities that the area offers, such as back country camping at Flores Island, first-aid training, and hikes along the Heart Lake Trail or Mount Tzouhalem. These trips allow the youth to connect with their surroundings and meaningfully support each other when overcoming challenges and learning new skills.
