Peer mentors and adaptive ski programs…a cool idea!

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 | Uncategorized

We spent another fun weekend skiing with Quincy. We also got a better camera, so hopefully I can post higher quality pictures…I realize a new camera alone isn’t enough for good photos, but it’s a start.

One thing I was struck by this weekend as we were skiing and hanging out at the Challenge Alaska Ski School was that the majority of the clients are adults, but there is always a handful of younger kids skiing, too. It is really cool to see young people on the mountain!

The way it works at Challenge is you purchase a lesson (which includes a lift ticket and gear) for either a half or a full day. The lesson is a one-on-one situation with an instructor. Most instructors are PSIA certified, but not all, so it’s usually important to try to request an instructor with more experience and training. The client and instructor will then hit the mountain together. With clients who have severe disabilities it isn’t uncommon to also have a shadow instructor who helps with chairlift loading and whatever else may come up.

It is a really cool system and it offers a great deal of support and instruction to clients of all ability levels. The one thing I was struck by last weekend is the absence of young volunteers. I would love to see younger volunteers trained as shadows to accompany the younger clients. I mean, our kids are first kids and they like to hang out with their own peer group. I’m sure it’s a little awkward for a teenage to spend the day on the mountain with a 40-year old adult instructor. The instructors are great and they do their best to make it fun, but think how cool it would be for kids to ski with kids their own age? What a fun experience that would be!

I am a huge supporter of peer mentor programs. I don’t see them very often, but when I do I see amazing results. There is so much to be learned from our children by their peer mentors. And interaction with peers provides the opportunity for our kids to take part in activities with people who understand them better than their adult caregivers do. Peer mentor programs require time, money and comittment but I believe they are absolutely worth every effort.

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