AIARE Professional Growth Network
Despite making up over 30% of AIARE recreational students, women, non-binary, and genderqueer folks represent only about 15% of AIARE’s pool of instructors. In addition to the challenges posed by gender bias (and others for folks with intersecting identities like racialized, LGBTQIA2S+, adaptive, caregivers, etc.)...
We're deeply grateful to the brand partners who helped us launch and sustain this work. This year, however, shifting priorities in the outdoor industry means corporate support has not been made available at the same level, but the need for increased representation in the avalanche industry hasn't gone away.
We're asking for your help to keep this program alive.
PGN Donation
...being (or becoming) a snow and avalanche professional is just plain hard! You have to:
🚨 manage a wide range of risks
📝 teach diverse groups of students
🔬 build and maintain a strong base of technical knowledge and skills
⚖️ find a practical balance with work
🙅🏽♀️ navigate bias and discrimination and practice allyship
❅ and sustain your winter stoke. That’s why you’re here, after all!
...being (or becoming) a snow and avalanche professional is just plain hard! You have to:
🚨 manage a wide range of risks
📝 teach diverse groups of students
🔬 build and maintain a strong base of technical knowledge and skills
⚖️ find a practical balance with work
🙅🏽♀️ navigate bias and discrimination and practice allyship
❅ and sustain your winter stoke. That’s why you’re here, after all!
AIARE’s Professional Growth Network (PGN) helps you build the knowledge base and support network you need to navigate the industry and its challenges. Learn more about the PGN’s different offerings:
What is AIARE’s Professional Growth Network?
The Professional Growth Network’s mission is to support U.S. snow and avalanche professionals of all levels who are from non-dominant gender identities by providing opportunities for community building, skill and knowledge development, and increased representation. The PGN accomplishes this through a blend of application-based cohort opportunities and public events that include virtual, in-person, and on-snow elements.
Cohort Opportunities
The Professional Growth Network offers two, unique cohort opportunities:
- Five regionally-based, season-long cohorts for those from underrepresented gender identities
- Three short-form cohorts available based on BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, and neurodivergent/adaptive identities
Both offerings create venues for participants to connect, learn, and grow both technical skills as well as their personal and professional communities. Cohorts focus primarily on goal setting, building interpersonal connections, and identifying strategies for success.
Regional Cohort Experience
The AIARE Professional Growth Network’s season-long, regional cohorts:
- Are open to individuals from all marginalized gender identities, including those who identify as transfemme, transmasc, genderqueer or gender non-conforming, women, and others
- Participation Fee $300 with sliding-scale and scholarship options available
- Include:
- Seven cohort sessions, beginning in late October and wrapping up by late March, that blend virtual and in-person formats
- Priority access to backcountry and resort-based opportunities
- Free lift tickets for resort-based ride days
- Access to cohort- and affinity-based WhatsApp group chats
The 25/26 season cohort opportunities are:
- California + Nevada (capacity: 1 mentor // 6 mentees)
- Colorado (capacity: 2 mentors // 12 mentees)
- Idaho, Montana, + Wyoming (capacity: 2 mentors // 12 mentees)
- Oregon + Washington (capacity: 2 mentors // 12 mentees)
- Utah (capacity: 1 mentor // 6 mentees)
Affinity Cohorts
The PGN’s short-form affinity cohorts, available to BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, and neurodigent/adaptive communities:
- Are open to all genders
- Have a capacity of six mentees and one mentor per cohort
- Participation Fee $100 with sliding-scale and scholarship options available
- Include:
- Three virtual cohort sessions, beginning in late October and wrapping up by mid-December
- Priority access to regional backcountry and resort-based opportunities
- Free lift tickets for in-bounds ride days in their region
- Access to cohort- and general affinity-based WhatsApp group chats
The 25/26 season cohort opportunities* are:
- Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC): reserved for individuals who identify as BIPOC, racialized, people of the global majority (PGM), or other related identity.
- LGBTQIA2S+: reserved for individuals who identify as part of the LGBTQIA2S+ or other related community
- Neurodivergent/Adaptive: reserved for individuals who identify as part of the neurodivergent, adaptive, or other related community
*All affinity cohorts run at a capacity of 1 mentor and 6 mentees.
Find this season’s schedule, details about sessions, and applications here:
25/26 Public Events Schedule
In addition to application-based cohorts, AIARE’s Professional Growth Network offers public events each season. Public events provide opportunities for a wider array of individuals to connect with each other and AIARE’s incredible community of snow and avalanche professionals.
25/26 Contact Sharing Opportunity
Looking to connect with a mentor or friend-tor but not able to participate in a cohort this season? This contact sharing form is intended to provide any and all snow and avalanche professionals (and aspiring pros!) an opportunity to make valuable connections, regardless of their ability to participate in AIARE's Professional Growth Network. Whether you are looking to be a mentor, find a mentor, or engage in peer-to-peer "friend-torship," drop your info into the form to start building connections. Once you complete the form, you'll be given access to others' responses and can reach directly to anyone who seems like a good fit for your goals.
Virtual Opportunities
Each event features conversational prompts, small breakout rooms, and a share out of recommended resources. Sessions are free of charge. However, donations to support the Professional Growth Network’s future efforts are welcome. Learn more about each session, and sign up, below.
Early Season Job Fair
Tuesday, December 2 // 6:30-8:00pm MT
Kick off your season by hearing the personal success stories of accomplished snow and avalanche professionals and connecting directly with potential employers from across the industry. Explore opportunities in patrol, guiding, avalanche education, forecasting, and more. Not sure what discipline is right for you? Join regional breakout sessions to hear about opportunities in your area.
Open to All. Registration opening October 1.
Spring Job Fair
Tuesday, April 21 (tentative) // 6:30-8:00pm MT
Details TBA
On-Snow Opportunities
Killington Ski Resort Ride Day
Details coming soon!
Northern VT Backcountry Ride Day
Details coming soon!
Photo courtesy of Sarina Pizzala Photography
Photo courtesy of Sarina Pizzala Photography
Photo courtesy of Izzy Lazarus
Photo courtesy of Lindsay Davis
Photo courtesy of Joy Seward
Photo courtesy of Jacque Tietjen
Photo courtesy of Jacque Tietjen
Photo courtesy of Joy Seward
Photo courtesy of Joy Seward
Photo courtesy of Joy Seward
Photo courtesy of Jacque Tietjen
Photo courtesy of Angelique Carl
FAQ
The Professional Growth Network hosts a variety of offerings open to different audiences. Below are details for the PGN’s primary programming, but check the specific event details of each opportunity to be sure.
The season-long, regional PGN cohort experience is open to all those from underrepresented gender identities including, but not limited to, those who identify as women, transfemme, transmasc, nonbinary, two-spirit, agender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, and/or other marginalized gender identity. It is best suited to those exploring or building work and careers in the snow and avalanche industry.
Additional affinity cohort experiences are reserved for specific populations, e.g. BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, neurodivergent, and adaptive communities, etc. Additional detail is provided in the cohort descriptions here. Affinity cohort experiences are open to all genders and best suited to those exploring or building work and careers in the snow and avalanche industry.
Unless otherwise specified, virtual public events are open to everyone. Additional information will be available in the event description, as applicable.
If you have questions about whether or not a particular event is the right fit for you, please email Azissa Singh (azissa.singh@avtraining.org).
For the first three seasons, AIARE’s Professional Growth Network was known as the Women’s Mentorship Program. With the guidance and support of a dedicated working group as well as other community members, AIARE updated the program in its fourth season to include individuals from all marginalized gender identities, including those who identify as transfemme, transmasc, genderqueer or gender non-conforming, women, and others. This shift included changing the name of the program, adding a pre-season training element to support mentors and mentees, scheduling additional dedicated affinity opportunities, and deepening community connections through collaboration. With feedback from participants and community collaborators, we will continue to assess the effectiveness of these changes each season, including making any changes to improve the experience.
Special thanks to Devin Gaan, Amy Smallwood, and Angelique Carl for lending their expertise and lived experience to the working group.
Increasing the participation fee for the Professional Growth Network’s cohort experiences allows AIARE to deliver this critical programming in a more sustainable fashion. Fees collected from participants go directly towards compensating mentors, providing scholarships for mentees, and hosting on-snow events.
In past years, this program was supported by brand partners. This season, due to shifting budgets across the industry, that support isn’t available — but the need for this program hasn’t gone away and AIARE is relying on the community and fees to maintain the program. As always, AIARE is committed to reducing financial barriers, including by offering sliding scale and scholarship options.
Become a Supporter
Over the past four seasons, the PGN has helped provide 176 aspiring snow professionals opportunities to build community and gain skills and knowledge that support their journey in being (or becoming) snow and avalanche professionals.
We’re deeply grateful to the brand partners who helped us launch and sustain this work. This year, however, shifting priorities in the outdoor industry mean that funding isn’t available, but the need for increased representation in the avalanche industry hasn’t gone away.
We believe in a winter backcountry space where everyone sees themselves reflected in the leaders and educators around them. If you believe in that too, we’re asking for your help to keep this program alive.
Here’s what your support makes possible:
$3,500 funds an on–snow day
$950 funds a mentor
$300 funds a mentee
Every contribution helps us work towards our goal of $20,000, and every dollar moves us closer to a more inclusive future on the snow.
PGN Donation
There are also other ways to support, learn more here.
Looking for something a little different?
Explore these other industry opportunities:
Other Opportunities at AIARE
The Professional Growth Network isn’t the only way AIARE supports gender equity. AIARE also offers affinity PRO and instructor training courses as well as scholarships, including gender-specific and motorized offerings.
Already an AIARE Instructor or industry professional? Browse AIARE’s collection of continuing education materials, including webinars on a variety of topics, such as “Worker Wellness in the Avalanche Industry.”
If you’re looking for a recreational avalanche course, many AIARE Providers operate affinity programs. Find a provider and course near you using AIARE’s search tool.
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