Land Based Learning Specialist

Are you passionate about youth, mental health, and the land?

Take a Hike Foundation is seeking a Land Based Learning (LBL) Specialist with an expertise in mental health, and a passion for the land, education and supporting vulnerable youth and families, to become part of our Programs Team either on the Lower Mainland or the Interior of BC region (with access to Kelowna and Vernon, and occasional visits to Merritt and Trail, this role also includes remote support for a program in Simcoe, ON).

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, experiential land-based learning, and community. Our public school district partners provide high quality education, and together, we empower youth with the skills and resilience they need to graduate high school, build healthy relationships, and achieve success – however they define it.

Take a Hike runs alternate education programs to support youth experiencing vulnerabilities. Land-Based Learning is a key part of every Take a Hike program; through taking youth outside, we aim to build belonging, community, and connection with the land. As a mental health foundation, we understand that there is a connection between time spent in nature, and our wellbeing. We honour Indigenous knowledge and wisdom in our connection to the land and combine this with aspects of place-based learning and adventure-based learning.

Youth go outside once a week on ‘out days’ and can participate in 1-2 multi‑day trips every year.

• Proactively work with program teams to plan out days that address the learning, healing, and growth goals of the youth.
• Schedule meetings with program teams to plan out days. Support teams in making plans that are coordinated, appropriately delegated, manageable, and sustainable, while aligning with TAH goals.
• Connect staff teams to learning plans, curricular links and other resources that integrate land-based learning with Ministry of Education core competencies and academic goals. Additionally, provide learning plans that support social and emotional learning and therapeutic goals.
• Identify and support opportunities to program teams that focus on local and sustainable offerings that align with program budgets and existing workloads.
• Attend 1-2 out-days per week and model and promote TAH land-based learning practices.
• In collaboration with staff teams, manage logistics, bookings, and purchasing, transportation, and approval processes for programs.
• Document LBL success with photos, videos, youth quotes, etc.
• Create, maintain and manage inventories of out-days and ideas that program teams can pull from.
• Develop and support community connections and relationships related to LBL activities, (e.g. outdoor activity guides, local Indigenous knowledge keepers, and other service providers) and ensure that these opportunities are in line with TAH goals and budget restraints
• Be trip point person and emergency contact for out days

• Maintain inventory/information of trips for repeat engagement
• Project manage trip planning, risk assessment, approval process, and support communication with youth and caregivers
• Manage trip planning logistics, including bookings and purchasing
• Provide on‑site support leading up to trips including gear packing, meal planning, shopping and pack out, and updating first‑aid kits
• Where necessary, participate in multi day trips during the school year

• Ensure there is appropriate gear for each program
• Support gear organization, maintenance, and inventory
• Support regional gear partnerships
• Support effective scheduling of transportation for all trips

• Implement and maintain TAH LBL risk management systems and policies, including the promotion of staff team understanding and compliance
• Work with the LBL team to identify gaps in policy/procedures, and collaborate on developing documentation…