Take a Hike West Kootenays
In partnership with SD 20 and based at the Kootenay Columbia Learning Centre.
Opened in 2013 and serves up to 20 youth (with an additional 25 with extended services).
For intake information, please contact Chris Gibson at chris@takeahikefoundation.org or 250.364.1275 Ext. 270 (available year-round).
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 20 in 2013 to open the West Kootenays program at Kootenay Columbia Learning Centre. Together, we engage up to 20 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 gate in the West Kootenays Program in 2024
76%
report significant mental health improvements
99%
reported having safety in expressing their feelings at Take a Hike
Youth in the West Kootenays program regularly explore the outdoors and engage in community-building opportunities such as hiking, biking, and outdoor rock climbing. These experiences help youth build confidence, strengthen relationships, and develop social-emotional skills. A highlight each year is the multi-day Spirit of Exploration trip, which recently took the group on a bikepacking journey along the Kettle Valley Rail Trail. Over three nights, youth camped at different sites, navigated rugged trails, and supported one another through heat, rain, and long climbs, leaving with a strong sense of accomplishment. These moments of challenge and connection also carry into the classroom, where this year 100 percent of eligible youth graduated, including three valedictorians who spoke about the impact of their time with Take a Hike.
