Inclusion for All

PSIA-AASI values lifelong adventures through education for all. To live our values, inclusion must be inherent in our culture; demonstrated through our Learning Connection℠ model and by our respect and support for each other, our students, and all whose lives can be enriched through snowsports. PSIA-AASI recognizes that opportunity, representation, acceptance, and access are not always distributed equitably throughout our organization or the snowsports industry as a whole. Whether intentional or not, the impact of exclusion is real.

Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) community; and other marginalized groups face barriers and conscious and unconscious bias in the snowsports industry. Some confront passive or active discrimination as students or leaders, in the snowsports school locker room, and on the slopes. This is, to some degree, because of the historically exclusive tradition of snowsports, pervasive discrimination and inequality in our nation, and our own organization’s missed opportunities to challenge the status quo. The PSIA-AASI community is not as representative, equitable, inclusive, or just as it could – and should – be. As educators, we cannot condone systems that privilege some over others and exclude individuals based on their race or identity. To create a culture of belonging that welcomes all, we acknowledge and embrace our responsibility to affect positive change within our sphere of influence.

Our Commitment

For PSIA-AASI as an organization, an employer, and a leader in the snowsports industry, it is imperative that we lead the way in fostering a safe, joyful, and accessible mountain environment. We commit to addressing barriers to access, inclusion, and leadership. We understand that when we address the needs of those who have historically been excluded, we positively impact everyone.

We will ensure that training, mentorship, guidance, and professional development are available to all – inclusive of age; ability; disability; socioeconomic status; ethnic origin; nationality; and racial, religious, social, sexual, or gender identity. Our path forward includes education, representation, partnership, and advocacy.

PSIA-AASI pledges to take diligent, sustainable, and continuous action to promote an inclusive and equitable snowsports community that provides opportunity to all members. We invite all stakeholders to hold us accountable and push us ahead.

Please click here for a full statement from PSIA-AASI. 

Rocky Mountain Division Land Acknowledgement

We at PSIA-AASI Rocky Mountain would like to respectfully acknowledge the Indigenous Nations of these lands where we work, live, and recreate. We recognize the impact their forced removal and relocation has had on their communities, and we commit to educating ourselves and others about continued care for the land, and the inclusion and respect of these Nations.

Although by no means a comprehensive naming, we uplift the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), hinono’eino’ biito’owu’ (Arapaho), Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), Pâri (Pawnee), ^^(Osage), Pueblos, Apache, Hohokam, Nʉmʉnʉʉ Sookobitʉ (Comanche), Shiwinna (Zuni), Jumanos, Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Gáuigú (Kiowa), Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha), Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), Apsaalooké (Crow), and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux) as original inhabitants and stewards of the lands across the Rocky Mountain Region.

Our regional office in Steamboat Springs stands in the Yampa Valley. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the past and continued stewardship of Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) Nation and other Indigenous Nations upon whose native lands we now reside.

To learn more about the history of the Ute Nation, click here: https://www.southernute-nsn.gov/history/

To learn about the Indigenous Peoples of the area where you reside or work, click here: https://native-land.ca/