BC-based Take a Hike Foundation has partnered with the Simcoe County District School Board to deliver its mental health and emotional well-being program at the Innisdale Secondary School in Barrie, marking the organization’s first-ever location in Ontario.
Take a Hike’s evidence-based program model, delivered in partnership with school boards, combines high-quality academic learning with mental health supports, including clinical counselling and land-based learning, embedded in an alternative education classroom. The program is targeted at youth experiencing vulnerabilities who are often left behind in mainstream education systems.
For over 25 years, Take a Hike has operated in more than 15 locations across British Columbia, impacting over 1000 youth. The program has been proven to increase graduation and employment rates, supporting youth transition to adulthood by creating a stable and safe environment, meeting them where they are, and helping them define their own path.
The Ontario program, supported by the McCall MacBain Foundation and other donors, comes at a time when young people in the province, just as across Canada, are showing increased demand for mental health supports.
Read more about their Ontario program here.
This investment is part of our commitment to support youth-serving community organizations that are working to enhance well-being and mental health and help young people thrive.