Higher Ground (TV Series)

Higher Ground (TV Series)

Higher Ground is an American-Canadian television show shot outside Vancouver, British Columbia, that aired in 2000. It starred Joe Lando, Hayden Christensen, A.J. Cook, Meghan Ory, Kandyse McClure and Jewel Staite.

Higher Ground told the story of a Mt. Horizon High School, a sanctuary for troubled teens. Set high in the mountains of the Northwestern United States, Horizon's rigorous schedule of outdoor sports — mountain climbing, biking, rafting, etc. — gave students the confidence to face their personal struggles with addiction, abuse or disorders.

Students tackled issues like drugs, sexual / verbal abuse, self-mutilation, eating disorders, gang violence, neglect, and suicide attempts -- but the series never adopted the "issue of the week" style common to teen shows. While navigating perilous action sequences and romantic entanglements, the students (and some of the teachers) found Mt. Horizon's world much safer than their turbulent home lives had been.