A single visit to “The Barn” at John Oliver Secondary on Vancouver’s Eastside will give you a clear idea of what Take a Hike Foundation is all about.
This is where a large piece of timber is housed, now slightly chiseled away at by the students in the program, and in a few weeks time after much dedication, learning, and hard work it will be standing vertical as a completed Totem Pole. The many kayaks and activity gear stored in the neighbouring Take a Hike office only further explains the key components and teaching models of this particular at-risk youth program.
Take a Hike, a full-time alternative education program, takes a slightly different approach to their curriculum than most. Their formula for teaching at-risk youth involves a much more hands-on restructuring of the academic lessons from the classroom, where many students find it difficult if not impossible to succeed.
“We take what happens in the classroom outdoors. We recently restructured a physics lesson by putting the kids on snowshoes,” says Jaydeen Williams, the Program Director at Take a Hike Foundation.
While the faculty draws on the adventure-based learning component of the program frequently, it isn’t all just outdoor activities. The program offers a distinct and unique advantage to its students through the support of a full time Clinical Therapist, Pete Prediger, who helps to understand the various elements of each student’s challenges. Ultimately his involvement with the students of Take a Hike provides a foundation of compassion and support while the program as a whole helps to show the students a way of life they have yet to experience first-hand.
Whether dealing with issues like substance abuse or worrying about a sibling they haven’t seen in four days, the Take a Hike staff not only understand the real-world problems associated with their youth, but are active in reaching out to discuss these issues with them one-on-one.
“Our resources paired with our caring and empathetic staff is what makes Take a Hike truly different,” says Jaydeen.
The difference that this program has made on the budding lives of their youth is immeasurable, but certainly emphasized when graduated students later get in touch with the alumni to express their increasing understanding of the program’s teachings, as well as their gratitude.
Recently the program came in contact with a 2006 graduate’s success story when he decided to show his appreciation by donating to the cause along with his family members. Eric is now managing a dozen employees for a large retail shopping centre and working towards his Diploma in Security and Emergency Management, and says he is “most proud to be self-dependent, free of debt, and in good health.”
As active participants in physical, hands-on ventures, Take a Hike is a charitable foundation in the upcoming Modo Spring Run-Off 8k event happening on Sunday, March 22nd at Stanley Park in Vancouver. Show your support to this particularly active youth-at risk program by visiting springrunoff.ca for registration or donating here.
NEW THIS YEAR!
- Modo will be matching all donations up to a total of $2,500!
Double the impact of your donations before the Modo matching funds run out! - Fundraise your way to great prizes!
The top 3 fundraisers will win a FREE entry into either the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k (June 28) or Vancouver Eastside 10k (September 19)!
About the Modo Spring Run-Off 8k
The Modo Spring Run-Off 8k is part of the prestigious Canada Running Series, Canada’s largest and most-prestigious running circuit with 8 events of varying distances in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. We are dedicated to the sport and the neighbourhoods we run in. Building Community Through Running, that’s what CRS is all about. To register and learn more about the Canada Running Series events, please visit runcrs.ca.
