Stoke Youth Network is broadening accessibility to activities for youth under 19 with programming designed to increase “third spaces,” or gathering places outside of home, work and school.
Work to increase these drop-in activities, which include everything from snowboarding camps to sewing classes, comes as a 2025 report by the B.C. Coroners Service, which studied ways to reduce suicide deaths in youth. Currently the the second highest cause of death among children and youth in the province, the coroners service reccommends building community as a key way to reduce suicide in teens.
Locally Sam Green, youth liaison for Stoke Youth Network, and staff at Revelstoke Secondary School have seen a rise in mental health struggles and families seeking support.
One call to action in the coroner’s study was for the province to work with municipalities in identifying existing physical spaces that could be developed into third spaces for youth programs and community outreach.
“That third space rhetoric is kind of what Stoke Youth Network exists for,” Green explained.
While Stoke Youth Network has been focused on providing structured programming for youth, Green and former youth liaison Ainslee Arthurs have heard a desire for a more casual drop-in space in Revelstoke, particularly in the winter when access to the outdoors is limited.
In her role, Green hears directly from local teens about the events, activities and opportunities they want to see. With ideas ranging from community dances and Dungeons and Dragons campaigns to back country skiing and the Common Roots program, Green is open to any potential activity.
“My goal is to create as much programming as possible for youth to find belonging and connection in the community outside of school and their home,” Green explained.
Achieving this goal means working with organizations and local businesses to offer programs as low-barrier as possible, such as the free ShredHERS and Shred COED mountain biking with Wandering Wheels.
“This is preventative care,” Green explained. “It’s ensuring that kids have a place to go and connect before they get to that [crisis] point.”
Although the Stoke Youth Network is not involved in the planning for Revelstoke’s future multipurpose facility, Green said a community drop-in space is high on the wishlist for many youth in Revelstoke, even while cautioning that the space won’t fulfil all the youth needs in Revelstoke.
“Talking with other Youth Networks, those spaces kind of get taken over by one group and it gets hard to bring new people in,” she added.
Building opportunities with the Youth Access Fund
Working to reduce financial barriers to recreational opportunities, such as equipment costs, lesson prices and pass fees, Stoke Youth Network introduced the Youth Access Fund, a grant and community-funded program.
“This really could not happen without the community, and it supports our community by supporting our families,” Green said.
This funding helps cover some of the costs of Stoke Youth Network events and other recreation opportunities in Revelstoke through fundraising events such as the Kodiaks All-Star hockey game.
“It allows youth to participate beside their peers, no matter what their family’s financial status is,” Green explained.
Funds are available for kids six to 19 whose family financially falls below the Revelstoke Living Wage income or have recently faced financial difficulties, like illness or death of a caregiver. Through referrals from Community Connections Revelstoke Society, Revelstoke Child Care Resource and Referral or School District 19, Green connects with families directly to organize funding.
“The goal is for it to be as discrete as possible,” she said, explaining the Youth Access Fund can reimburse the family or pay the program directly depending on the situation.
For those in Revelstoke wanting to support Stoke Youth Network and youth mental health in town, creating spaces or events for youth can be simple, Green said.
“Even just hosting more youth-friendly events, especially for 12 to 18 year olds,” she suggested. “There’s a lot for the little kids, but we can always use more for the teenagers.”
What did you think of this story?
Your feedback after we publish a story helps ensure we're always improving our reporting to better serve you
