Adventure-based learning helps at-risk students

Not every student fits into the mainstream school system. At least that’s the philosophy behind the Take a Hike program.

“It is a program that takes some of the most vulnerable students in school, students that have dropped out of high school, and we give them a highly supportive environment,” says Gordon Matchett, CEO of the Take a Hike Youth at Risk Foundation.

In this full-time alternative education program, students spend their days doing outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, canoeing and snowshoeing. The course work is self-paced, there is a community engagement component, and there is a full-time therapist on hand to help students deal with deeply-rooted personal issues.

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Chris Gibson is a therapist with the program and says “when students first come to me, it can be quite hard to hear their stories. Because you don’t hear a plan for success, you don’t hear that story, you don’t hear that narrative of high self-esteem.”

The supportive environment has worked for former students, and many graduates have since gone on to post-secondary education. Billy Campbell, who graduated last year, hoped that his brother could join this year:

“My little brother, too, he was kind of going in a downward spiral like I was. We had had a bad run of luck, our dad was in hospital for a bit, and him passing away before my graduation last year — it made it hard for my whole family to deal with…I realize that Take a Hike is the biggest thing that pulled me up on my feet, I figured maybe he could do the same thing.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "My little brother, too, he was kind of going in a downward spiral like I was. We had had a bad run of luck, our dad was in hospital for a bit, and him passing away before my graduation last year — it made it hard for my whole family to deal with…I realize that Take a Hike is the biggest thing that pulled me up on my feet, I figured maybe he could do the same thing."

Since starting in 2000, Take a Hike has engaged with more than 350 at-risk youth in its three BC locations: Vancouver, Burnaby and the West Kootenays. The program relies on donations to pay for the extra learning components. They’ve held adventure clothing and gear drives, and the West Kootenays location recently received a 15 seat van to help with travel arrangements.