Educators

What We Can Do For You, Inside and Outside the Classroom

Today's youth spend more winter sports time in the backcountry than ever before - the need for youth avalanche safety education has never been greater. The Canadian Avalanche Centre, a world leader in avalanche awareness, education and safety services, acts as the hub of coordination for avalanche safety programs oriented to young people in Canada. The CAC's strategy is to expose more youth to avalanche safety presentations and avalanche awareness events and to have avalanche safety taught in grades K-12 in mountain communities throughout Canada.

The CAC strives to raise avalanche safety awareness with youth audiences by promoting existing programs that reach young people, providing a list of Avalanche Skills Training providers for youth, providing avalanche safety educators with educational resources, tools, and professional training through the Canadian Avalanche Association, and by maintaining a webpage for youth, educators, parents and stakeholders to source information about and links to existing and new avalanche safety programs and services geared to youth.

What the CAC can do for you
Educators may wish to host an Avalanche Safety event at their school or classroom. Specific Avalanche Safety Program curriculum for youth has been developed by the CAC and our partner organizations: Canadian Ski Patrol System, AdventureSmart and SnowSmart. Please click this link for more information on youth programs offered by our partners and for resources offered through the CAC. Contact our partners directly to enquire about bringing their programs to your school or event.

There are some great innovative community programs that might inspire you to do the same.

The CAC is in the process of developing grade specific curriculum to teach aspects of avalanche safety to youth. Click here for printable, educational materials and in-class activities.

The CAC can also support Educators who would like to bring Avalanche Safety messages to their student in the followings ways:

• The CAC can provide Educators with an Avalanche Safety Classroom Kit
  
  
• The CAC's Tool Box (beacons/probes/shovels) is available for Youth Educators to borrow. See attachment for more details.
  
  
• The CAC may be able to provide an Avalanche Professional to visit your event to discuss issues around how and why avalanches occur, and how to manage risk. The CAC will need at least a month’s notice to arrange a staff member’s visit to your classroom.
  
  
• To order an Avalanche Safety Classroom Kit for your event and to discuss the possibility of an Avalanche Professional attending, please contact the CAC at programservices@avalanche.ca .