 |
Professional,
Technical, and Educational |
Avalanche Education Programs
2008 - 2009 Course Schedule
|
[Course Program FAQ] [Registration] |
|
No open-enrollment courses are planned for this year. The annual program for the US Army Northern Warfare Training Center instructors is the only class we expect to hold in the traditional format. Groups that want a dedicated traditional class can still arrange one. However, due to the inevitable time constraints we do not cover 100% of the material in the online course in a three day course. Some of it overlaps with what is left for Level 2 courses in most programs. As a result we cannot offer the same certification that we do through the online course. We will offer documentation that you completed a course, which is equivalent to what any other program provides (whether they call it a certificate or something else).
Students who are serious should register and pay to guarantee their space in a course. Field days are free to anyone meeting the prerequisites but will be booked on a first-come first-serve basis. The prerequisites consist of online modules, so the sooner you sign up the more time you have to do these at your own pace.
Special Classes, Private Arrangements
Private classes and special classes tailored to a groups needs can be arranged upon request. Although it is not truly a private class we are offering groups of 8 or more students a discount of $50 per person on the online course as well as a chance to schedule field days specifically for their group. (Field days for groups larger than 8 are generally spread across multiple days with no more than 8 students per day. If less than 8 from a group attend then the field day will be opened to other individual students in the online class.) Contact Us about any of this.
Cost:
Level I classes online are $299 per student, or $249 for groups of 8 or more who register together. The course fee includes a discount on most brands of avalanche safety equipment and a one year membership at the CSAC Avalanche Center. We cannot include field days in the course fee for a variety of reasons, but there will be field days available for free to anyone meeting the attendance requirements. In addition to students registered in a Level 1 course this may include people who successfully challenge modules, enroll in particular modules rather than the entire course, or use some combination of those approaches.
Many quality 3 day courses now cost at least $50 to $100 more than this. In our experience there is no possible way to cover all of the material in the online modules plus the two field days in a three day class. Attempting to cover as much as possible often results in students absorbing different amounts of material due to variations in how rested they are when they arrive, their attention spans, their learning styles, local travel times and facilities, etc.
We no longer attempt to offer scheduled traditional Level 2 classes, although we can arrange one for a group of 6 or more by request. Currently most Level 2 classes require a serious investment of time and money and spend a lot of course time on topics not important to recreation, such as formally observing and recording data. Rather than offer such a Level 2 course we will be developing select advanced topics. Students will be able to choose topics they are interested in and register for them one at a time with only a modest investment of time and money. We feel this approach will be highly suited to students whose interest is recreational, or academic curiosity in the case of some topics . The first such advanced modules may be available late this season, but before such modules can be developed and offered we need to concentrate on the Level 1 units that will serve as prerequisites.
Registration:
Registrations are not final until payment is received. You can confirm your registration and pay online. We also have a page with contact information should you have any questions not answered on the website.