Teck Trail donates $15,000 to West Kootenay Take a Hike
By Teck Trail Operations
Before the pandemic began, one in seven young people in BC had one or more mental health disorders. Since the arrival of COVID-19, these challenges have been compounded and recent studies show two out of three young people now experience mental health issues.
Take a Hike empowers youth who experience vulnerability to change the trajectory of their lives with a full-time mental health and emotional well-being program embedded in an alternate education classroom. Take a Hike engages youth with intentional, continuous clinical counselling, outdoor experiential learning, and community. In Take a Hike, youth build strong relationships and gain the skills and resilience they need to graduate high school and achieve success however they define it.
In the Take a Hike program, three out of four youth reported improved:
- Feelings of belonging and safety in Take a Hike
- Satisfaction with life and feelings of hope
- Closeness with their peers and a good friend to talk to
- Gains in mental health and well-being – even with the on-going pandemic
Teck Trail Operations’ support will allow Take a Hike to continue supporting youth in the West Kootenays. This funding will provide crucial mental health and well-being support to youth in our communities and will ensure Take a Hike’s impacts can make a difference in the lives of Interior youth.
“We are grateful for the support Teck Trail Operations has provided for our West Kootenays program. This funding will provide uninterrupted mental health and well-being support to Interior youth,” said Gordon Matchett, Take a Hike CEO.
“Teck Trail Operations is proud to continue our support of the Take a Hike West Kootenay program. It is a critical education alternative that supports local youth by offering a unique focus on educational opportunities and youth engagement in the community,” added Jayne Garry, Community Relations Leader, Teck Trail Operations
