AIARE Recreational Avalanche Instructor and Course Leader Qualifications and Continuing Education Requirements

Updated May 2025

AIARE Instructor

AIARE Instructors are experienced backcountry travelers proficient in the application of skills examined on a PRO 1. The PRO 1 certificate establishes that an individual has the required conceptual knowledge and is capable in their application. Folks who have completed this course successfully may still be inefficient in application of skills examined to earn the certificate; experience and coaching may still be necessary to reach fluency.

Instructors are trained to be responsive educators, contribute to a team’s risk management, and engage in continued growth and development. They continue to develop these skills under the guidance and coaching of a more experienced instructor or course leader. They are part of an instructor team in order to collaborate on hazard assessment, terrain choice, and meeting student learning outcomes.

Newer instructors benefit from direct guidance and coaching from a more seasoned and senior instructor. Over time, instructors should become increasingly capable of self-evaluation and thus instruct with greater autonomy. 

Required Training + Experience

  • Recreational Level 1 and Avalanche Rescue Completion
  • 5 years of experience as a backcountry traveler
  • PRO 1 certificate
  • AIARE Instructor Training Course
  • Current A3 membership (Affiliate or Professional)

Maintaining Instructor Status

AIARE Instructors maintain their status by:

  • Participating in yearly AIARE Instructor Continuing Education (see more on this in the Continuing Education section below)
  • Remaining current on their AIARE Instructor and A3 membership dues
  • Keeping up to date on curriculum changes and updating teaching materials as they become available

AIARE Course Leader

Course Leaders are highly experienced instructors  who have been additionally and specifically trained to supervise course management and delivery. They serve in both a teaching and supervisory role. In a teaching role, Course Leaders supervise and mentor instructors to ensure curricular consistency, manage the team in accordance with the Provider’s risk management plan, and support the development of instructors involved in a given course. In a supervisory role, Course Leaders provide instructional oversight through consultation on terrain selection and usage, daily agendas, and lesson plans. Course Leaders are expected to facilitate morning and evening collaboration meetings.They may participate in course resource maintenance and in scheduling to provide opportunities for collaboration and instructor coaching and development. 

Newer course leaders may only be asked to instruct independently or may be asked to manage a course of more experienced instructors. Over time, course leaders may take on more responsibility in the amount of coaching or supervision asked of them. 

Required Training + Experience

  • Current AIARE Instructor
  • Significant experience teaching AIARE 1, AIARE 2, and Rescue courses
  • PRO 2 Certificate
  • Course Leader Training 
  • A3 Professional Membership

Maintaining Course Leader Status

AIARE Course Leaders maintain their course leader status by:

  • Participating in yearly AIARE Instructor Continuing Education
  • Remaining current on their AIARE Instructor and A3 membership dues
  • Keeping up to date on curriculum changes and updating teaching materials as they become available

AIARE Instructor Continuing Education

To maintain their status as AIARE Instructors or Course Leaders (CLs), instructors must pay dues and sign the AIARE Code of Conduct in October of each year. AIARE Instructors and CLs are also required to stay up to date with AIARE curriculum, industry and teaching best practices, and their own professional development through annual continuing education (CE). The AIARE CE Program provides AIARE Instructors and CLs with a menu of courses to tailor to their individual development needs.

Instructors who do not pay dues, or submit proof of continuing education by October 31 become inactive (i.e. not able to teach) until they do. Inactive instructors must complete their professional development requirements for the previous season in order to become active again.

In order to maintain your instructor status, you will need to upload proof each season that you have met the annual continuing education requirement. To do this:

  • You must complete 8 hours of CE each season. Please note that because the purpose of CE is to engage in continuing education yearly, the maximum number of “credit” hours that will be honored for single course is 8, even if the length of the course exceeds the requirement. This means that if you engaged in more than 8 hours of CE in a given season, the extra hours do not count toward your CE requirement for any future seasons—we want AIARE instructors to continue learning every season!
  • Choose from AIARE-offered and/or non-AIARE CE opportunities. AIARE recognizes that there is a great number of high-quality resources available to help instructors hone their skills; your 8 hours per season can include any combination you like of AIARE-offered and non-AIARE CE.
  • Log into your avtraining.org profile and add your previous season's CE when you pay your instructor dues and sign the code of conduct. This can all be handled on the "Instructor Status Requirements" webpage.