Snowsports Education

Catalog description

Snowsports Education is designed to guide students to become a certified snowsports educator. The course introduces students to materials and experiences which help to prepare them to undertake the Level I certification in any discipline of the Professional Ski Instructors of America & American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI). The course is composed of three segments: 1) Introducing snowsports education, 2) Instructor certification process, and 3) Planning for continued professional development. The major topics of the first segment focus on the fundamentals of snowsports instruction, The Learning Connection Model, and on how to facilitate a learning experience for beginner and novice skiers and snowboarders. The second segment entails independent preparation for the PSIA-AASI Level I certification assessment and successful completion of the assessment. The final part of the course helps students interpret and reflect on their assessment feedback and prepare next steps as snowsports educators. Course activities include preparing written summaries and analyses of course topics, self-assessments and reflections of student's own instructing and professional experiences, and completing the PSIA-AASI Level I certification assessment. Students will need to join PSIA-AASI and pay for their level I assessment in addition to tuition fees. Membership with PSIA-AASI includes digital access to required course materials.