Women’s-Specific Avalanche Education Scholarships Announced For 2022-2023 Winter Season

November 10, 2022

Denver, Colo. (November 10, 2022) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – Backcountry Access and the American Avalanche Association are pleased to announce that they are joining forces to support a new scholarship program for female-identifying avalanche workers. Each scholarship will include up to $1,500 in tuition support for women taking their Professional Level 1 or Professional Level 2 Avalanche Courses. These scholarships are offered exclusively to women-identifying people in the hopes of continuing to support the professional development of female avalanche workers.

“A3 is excited to support women in the avalanche industry,” notes Jayne Nolan, Executive Director of the American Avalanche Association. “We see these scholarships as a great way to move the needle forward in terms of eliminating barriers to entry and roadblocks related to continued professional development.”

The education that is the basis for professional avalanche work often takes many years to complete and can easily rack up a hefty bill. For A3 and BCA, this scholarship is a big step toward bridging both the gender and financial gaps in the professional avalanche space. Both organizations hope to empower more women to expand their professional-level skills and see professional avalanche work as a viable and appealing career track.

“Finances are often one of the biggest hurdles preventing women from furthering their professional avalanche careers, and we hope these scholarships will help with that,” explains Nolan. “In the long term, A3 and BCA hope to expand the program to go beyond scholarships to mentorship and community development opportunities. We want the women in our industry to feel supported and to be able to connect and learn from individuals who have been in the arena and made successful careers out of it.”

The following are the six current Pro Training Course Providers and scholarship recipients will be able to apply the $1,500 to the school of their choice:

Alaska Avalanche School

American Avalanche Institute

American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE)

Colorado Mountain College

National Avalanche School

Silverton Avalanche School

Requirements/Eligibility:

• Recipient must be a current Affiliate or Professional Member of the American Avalanche Association (A3).
• Recipient must utilize scholarship for Pro 1 or Pro 2 Course with an Approved A3 Provider.
• Scholarship must be utilized during the 2022-2023 winter season.
• Recipients must submit a Course Completion Certificate following the completion of their course. Upon receipt, the recipient will receive a reimbursement check for tuition.
• Scholarship cannot be used for travel or other related expenses.
• Scholarship recipients must provide headshot and bio to A3/BCA as well as a follow up quote and photo to be used in BCA and A3 promotional materials.

To Apply:

Please fill out the submission form found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1H1St3_ORrqWLHrcH8agGb7NnCSwBuh9ECRQe99R_lW0/edit

Applications are DUE by December 6, 2022. Please contact Jayne Nolan at Jayne@avalanche.org with any questions regarding the application process or scholarship.

About Backcountry Access

Backcountry Access (BCA) is a leading manufacturer of snow safety equipment, including BCA Tracker avalanche transceivers, Float avalanche airbags, BC Link radios, MtnPro snowmobile gear, avalanche probes, and shovels. BCA’s mission is to save lives, not just sell products. BCA considers avalanche education to be as important as its avalanche safety equipment and delivers all its products with consumer education and knowledgeable customer service. 

About the American Avalanche Association

The American Avalanche Association promotes professionalism and expertise within the avalanche industry for the benefit of all who work, play, or travel in avalanche country.