AIARE Course Leader Training
The application window for the CLT has closed and will open for the 2023-24 season in August.
AIARE’s Course Leader Training (CLT) is a four-day course focused on training experienced AIARE Instructors to lead Avalanche Rescue, AIARE 1, and AIARE 2 courses. Course participants will have opportunities to:
- practice andapply their operational risk management skills and experience as AIARE Instructors
- practice and receive feedback on leading an instructional team to manage risk and meet the learning outcomes of the AIARE curriculum
- receive feedback on their instructional skills
Upon successful completion of the course, participants will meet AIARE’s requirements to lead AIARE 1, AIARE 2, and Avalanche Rescue courses. AIARE Providers may require additional training and certifications (such as first aid), as well as demonstrated guiding and movement skills as a prerequisite to employment. The CLT is not designed to fulfill all the requirements associated with employment by AIARE Providers.
Course Format
The AIARE CLT is a four-day program comprised of an in-person classroom and field-based portion and a significant online, self-paced component.
Significant pre-course work, i.e. at least 12 hours, is integral to making the course sessions productive and engaging. The more energy you put into your application, the more you’ll get out of your course—the elements in your packet will be workshopped and refined during your course to leave you with all the materials you’ll need to successfully lead an AIARE recreational course. The linked course description and sample itinerary provide a general outline of AIARE’s CLT. Individuals who are assessed as ready to course lead and meet AIARE Course Leader qualifications are eligible to apply for AIARE Course Leader status. Upon completion of their CLT, students will be given more detailed instructions on how to apply for AIARE Instructor status, including by submitting proof of A3 professional membership. Individuals who are assessed as not yet ready to lead AIARE courses will work with AIARE staff to create an individualized plan to develop the necessary course leader skills.
PLEASE REVIEW THE CLT PREREQUISITES AND PULL TOGETHER YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR APPLICATION.
Schedule
The season(s) before your course
- Ensure you have significant experience teaching all three AIARE recreational programs (AIARE 1, AIARE 2, and Avalanche Rescue). This should include at least two seasons instructing at least eight courses each season. Your experience should reflect a mix of experience with all three possible courses. Check your profile at avtraining.org to ensure it’s up to date and reflects all the courses you have instructed. If your profile is not accurate, please work directly with the course provider to ensure you are listed as an instructor on the roster.
- Obtain a PRO 2 certificate. You can take your PRO 2 with AIARE or another A3-approved PRO provider. There is no expiration date on a PRO 2 certificate. You need to have your PRO 2 certificate in order to apply in August. This means you need to obtain a PRO 2 certificate the season prior to applying to a CLT.
- Ensure you are up to date on your continuing education and instructor dues. You can check your status via your avtraining.org portal.
June - July
- Sign up to be notified when the application period opens.
- Review the dates and locations of the season’s course offerings. AIARE publishes these dates in late June or early July. AIARE cannot guarantee placement in your top-choice course, but you will be given an opportunity to list your preferences in your application.
- Gather your application materials. These include:
- Ensure that your avtraining.org profile is up to date with all the courses you’ve taught. This is what AIARE will use to review your experience teaching AIARE courses. If your profile is not accurate, please work directly with the course provider to ensure you are listed as an instructor on the roster.
- Your PRO 2 certificate.
- A completed resume form that details seven seasons of backcountry experience involving leadership and decision-making in avalanche terrain.
- A letter of recommendation using this form from a current AIARE Course Leader you have worked with in the last year who can speak to your readiness to become a course leader.
- Prepare your Course Leader Training assignments packet. The Course Leader Training is a two-module course. The first module takes place online and at your own pace prior to the course and helps you to develop some of the tools you will need to be a successful course leader. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the self-paced work and peer review, we ask CLT applicants to submit a first draft of these assignments as a part of their course application. Please download this packet template and checklist to prepare and submit the following. Please prepare this application packet as a single file. The packet includes:
- Sample pre- and post-course communications you will send to students ahead of meeting them for a course and afterwards as a follow-up.
- Sample agendas for the AIARE 1, AIARE 2, and Avalanche Rescue courses specific to a venue where you typically work.
- Course Delivery Checklists that list pre-course, on-course, and post-course tasks and who is responsible for those tasks.
- Terrain Resources that includes a simple terrain atlas/catalog of a venue where you typically work as well sample resources you would provide to an AIARE 1 student.
- Apply for any available scholarship funds you’re interested in.
August
The application period for AIARE Instructor Training courses is open for three weeks every August. In order to accommodate applicants who spend significant time in the field, applications are not reviewed on a rolling basis and are instead reviewed all at once after the period has closed. In other words, you can apply anytime during the window and it will not affect your chances of acceptance. Only complete applications are considered for enrollment. Incomplete applications will be held and may be offered enrollment once all requirements are met on a space-available basis. It is taken into consideration whether an applicant has applied in previous seasons. Provider needs and geographic needs for course leaders are also taken into consideration.
September
AIARE reviews applications in late August and early September. AIARE will notify applicants of their acceptance and finalize enrollment by mid-September. At this point, you will not be enrolled until payment is made. Payment plans are available. All remaining applications will be placed on a waiting list. While we work to place everyone on their preferred course, placement on a specific course is not guaranteed.
October - December
Begin preparing for your course. This includes:
- Following the link in your course welcome email to join your Google Classroom.
- Completing the pre-course assignments in your Google Classroom. Expect to spend about 4 hours on this.