Wilderness Youth Challenge Program is a non-profit charity that was founded in 2006 by three founding Directors that made it their mission to continue their support to those less fortunate after working with the Hope Mission in Edmonton, Alberta Canada for several years. What they found was there was a real need for resources that would support the youth that were at risk.
The youth at risk of reoffending, relapsing into a cycle of poor judgement, danger and harm to themselves and possibly to others., homelessness and disparity. These same youth didn’t have a positive support group, peers, respect for themselves or others.
It was then that the Wilderness Youth Challenge Program (also known as WYCP) was started.
By removing these youth at risk from their day to day activities and mindset, these Challenge Programs are held in the remote wilderness with volunteer supervision and youth mentors. Each youth that take our fully funded programs are trained to learn how to Leave No Trace (LNT) in the wilderness, Predator Awareness, Wilderness First Aid and tools and techniques to help them learn to trust themselves and others. They are taught to learn how to make good decisions and not relapse into poor judgement and life choices with the “solo” days/nights within each program. They have time for reflection, they have time to build their confidence and self esteem and a support group for life should they wish to embrace the opportunity.
We work with many different youth agencies, have gracious and engaging donors and sponsors and dedicated volunteers that help to make these programs a success. Each youth prepares an Appreciation Letter, after their Graduation, for their sponsor that has made it possible for them to take these valuable and life changing programs.