Fifteen youths on bicycle roll through Stanley Park on a crisp autumn morning, pedalling hard to keep up with Canadian Olympic athlete Clara Hughes. But it’s all in good fun—the day’s adventure is a celebration of the Take a Hike Youth at Risk Foundation’s 10th anniversary. Hughes has become a de facto ambassador for the program, after donating her $10,000 bronze medal bonus to the foundation’s cause. But you can see by the effusive glow on her face that it’s a role she happily takes on, leading the pack of teenagers along the seawall.
Take a Hike is an alternative education program based at John Oliver Secondary School for youth between the ages of 15 and 19 who struggle with issues that may inhibit their success in a traditional school system. This can include addictions, depression or unstable home environments. The model combines academics with counselling, community involvement and adventure-based learning, which cultivates trust through teamwork and develops communication and problem-solving skills through weekly outdoor day trips and excursions.
Take a Hike’s 10-year anniversary is a celebration of their numerous successes to date; the program has inspired over 250 students since its inception. Now the foundation is looking ahead to expand its current reach. Sonja Jensen, the chair of the growth committee, explains their two-part initiative: growth within their home base, creating summer programs and resources for parents; and expansion into new communities, assessing need and interest and reaching out. Jaydeen Williams, the foundation’s executive director, knows that the latter takes time. “We have two classrooms and forty students—that took 10 years,” she says. “We hope to expand into a second community by September 2012.”
“If we’ve learned anything from these last 10 years,” Jensen chimes in to add, “it’s that it truly takes a village to run a successful program—dedicated community champions, generous individual and corporate donors, a passionate and dedicated staff and strong support from the district school board.” Judging by the enthusiasm of the spectators at Stanley Park, the Take a Hike Foundation surely has all of that and more.
