AIARE Scholarships

There are several scholarship opportunities for AIARE Instructor Training courses and AIARE PRO courses, as well as AIARE 1 classes. Please note that you must apply for the respective course for which you seek a scholarship. 

Kizaki-Wolf Scholarship for Instructor Training, Course Leader Training & PRO Training

The Kizaki-Wolf AIARE Scholarship supports outstanding outdoor professionals in furthering their avalanche education and teaching skills. This scholarship provides full or partial tuition for an Instructor Training Course, Course Leader Training Course or PRO 1 or PRO 2 course. The selection committee focuses on four criteria in evaluating applicants:

  • Outdoor professional career (guide, patroller, outdoor educator, etc.) dedication and achievement;
  • Under-represented populations within outdoor professionals;
  • An appreciation of, and commitment to, an inclusive and diverse community of outdoor recreationalists and professionals.

Application Process:

  1. APPLY FOR YOUR COURSE: Apply and be accepted (or wait-listed) to an AIARE ITC, CLT, PRO 1, or PRO 2. Only scholarship applicants who are registered (or wait-listed) for an AIARE professional-level course will be considered. Course registration opens July 1, and applications do not require a tuition payment. 
  2. SUBMIT YOUR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION, including: 
    • Your CV, including outdoor professional positions, education, courses, certifications, and number of days worked annually as an outdoor professional.
    • A Personal Statement addressing the following questions: 
      • What has been your personal journey as an outdoor or avalanche professional? What are your career goals and aspirations?
      • Why are you a great candidate for this scholarship and how will this scholarship help you pay it forward in the avalanche field? 
      • Are you part of an underrepresented population in the outdoor/avalanche community? How have those experiences influenced you or your career objectives? 
      • How have you demonstrated an appreciation of, and commitment to, an inclusive and diverse community of outdoor recreationalists and professionals?
    • Three professional references in an outdoor professional-setting. Letters of recommendation are not required. The selection committee only contacts the references of finalists. 
    • Submit CV, video and references in one package/email to kizaki@avtraining.org
  3. DATES & DEADLINES: 
    • Applications are due November 1st. 
    • Notification of award will be by Nov 15, 2021.
  4. POST-COURSE VIDEO: 
    • Scholarship recipients provide a short, post-course video debrief discussing their experience and any advice or words of wisdom for future scholarship recipients. Examples of post-course videos from prior scholarship recipients are available here.  Don’t worry though — scholarship recipients are provided with guidance and tools for putting together their post-course video and all you need is a smart phone! 

Kizaki-Wolf AIARE Scholarship Recipients

Weston Powder to the People Scholarship

There are plenty of existing barriers to entering the backcountry. We want to help get rid of one of them. Interest in backcountry skiing and snowboarding is peaking this season more than ever before. As we welcome in new members to our backcountry community, we firmly believe in doing our part to not only equip riders with the appropriate gear to get out there but with the proper training and education to do it safely and responsibly.

For the 20/21 snow season, AIARE and Weston have teamed up to create scholarship opportunities to help reduce the barrier of cost for underrepresented groups in the backcountry such as Women, BIPOC, and LGTBQ individuals in hopes to bring forward a more diverse backcountry community. If this applies to you, follow the link in our bio to learn more!

This scholarship is facilitated through partial donations of sales from our AIARE co-branded ski and splitboard lineup.

https://westonbackcountry.com/pages/aiare-scholarship

Guides Fund Yearly Scholarship

This scholarship is intended to both support AIARE’s mission of ‘saving lives through avalanche education,’ and encourage historically underrepresented populations in American backcountry pursuits to move into leadership roles, by partially or fully subsidizing tuition for an AIARE ITC or CLT.

Application should include a list qualifications as pertaining to ITC/CLT prerequisites, and a short description of current work, education and future in the field of avalanche research and education.

There are no reporting requirements for this scholarship.

Please direct applications to darkstarmtguide@gmail.com, between September 1 and November 1.

Live Large University AIARE Scholarship

The #LiveLargeUniversity AIARE scholarship is intended to support motorized backcountry riders. Funds for this scholarship are raised by donation and through purchases from the 2020 Avalanche Alliance Sweepstakes and the Jon Ferrian Live online shop. Full and partial scholarships are available for students taking an AIARE Motorized Rec Course, PRO 1, PRO 2 or ITC course. Read more about qualifications here: LLU SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA 2021. Applications for PRO and Instructor Training will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Awards for AIARE recreational courses (AIARE 1, AIARE 2, Rescue) will be given on December 1 and again on January 15. APPLY NOW. 

George Dirth Memorial Scholarship

The George Dirth Memorial Scholarship fund supports Colorado-based backcountry skiers/snowboarders. The Fund provides partial tuition for an AIARE 1 course. Please visit George Dirth Memorial for more information on this scholarship opportunity.