Vulnerable Kamloops youth displaced by fall fire get new home in old school
Vulnerable youth in alternative high school programs in Kamloops, B.C., have a school to call their own after being displaced by a fire in September.
Students in three programs run by the Twin Rivers Education Centre (TREC) were forced to move from their old location at George Hilliard Elementary School when nearby Parkcrest Elementary burned down and those students were shuffled over to George Hilliard.
TREC students had to vacate and as a result each of the three programs were moved to separate locations.
On Monday, all three were back under one roof at the former Happyvale Elementary building in North Kamloops.
"Our students are going to come here and feel valued," said TREC principal Cory Carmichael. "We can make this our home and really focus on building our community back together."
The three programs now housed at Happyvale includes the Bridges Program for students 12-14 who are having trouble transitioning from elementary to high school, the Alternative Education Program for students 14-19 who need a flexible schedule and Four Directions Secondary School, an academic program with a focus on Indigenous culture.
"They are among the most vulnerable and come from a wide variety of challenging circumstances," said Carmichael about TREC students.
Exhale and unpack
He said the students are really pleased with the new space, which is smaller than the George Hilliard location but large enough with the addition of portable classrooms to bring the three programs back to one location.
"We feel like we can kind of exhale now and unpack and make it ours," said Carmichael,
Tracey Howden, certified education assistant at TREC, said it is a relief to have a stable location.
"It's been stressful," said Howden, adding it was challenging deciding what stayed and what was stored when moving between buildings.
"Now we have room to move," she said.
Howden's colleague, teacher Erin Fletcher, said Friday she is relieved to move her teaching materials out of her own basement and welcome the kids to their new space.
"I am looking forward to them walking in," said Howden.
Prior to reuniting at the Happyvale site, the Bridges Program was moved to the John Tod Centre Y, Four Directions was operating out of the local United Way and the Alternative Education program was held at NorKam Secondary School.
There are approximately 240 students enrolled in the three TREC programs at the new location.
