Registered Member

The biggest benefit of your membership is access to incredible learning opportunities and resources, so regardless of if your goals are something concrete like a certification or a specialist program, or if you just want to be a better teacher and skier, you’re in the right place.

• If you haven’t already joined a snowsports school, now is a good time to do that. Most instructors do their initial training through their own school.
• Check out these FREE resources:
  • Course for New Instructors
  • Delivering the Beginner Experience – Alpine
  • Introduction to Working with Children
• This is a great time to start learning even more about your craft. Your membership comes with FREE digital access to these manuals or you can access printed manuals here.
  • Teaching Snowsports Manual
  • Alpine Technical Manual
  • Teaching Children Snowsports Manual
• It’s also important that you spend time teaching lessons on-snow. Getting better at anything requires practice.
• If your goal is certification, develop a plan with your snowsports school director or training supervisor to learn what you need to know to be successful at Level I.
• As a registered member, you are eligible to take any event that doesn’t require certification as a prerequisite. Check out the Event Calendar to see your options!

Resources:

• Event Calendar
• Digital Manuals
• Printed Manuals
• Alpine Assessment Guide
• Alpine Level I E-Learning Course
• Digital Learning Hub
• The Matrix
• Member Customized Events
• Eastern Webinars
• Eastern Online Courses
• Guide for New Instructors

Alpine Level I Certification

Prerequisites

• It is highly recommended that you are currently employed as an instructor in a snowsports school where you receive on-snow training to teach in the beginner/novice zone.
• We highly recommend a minimum of 50 hours of combined in-house training and actual on-hill teaching before you attempt the Level I Assessment.
• If you are not currently working in a snowsports school, you must complete a PSIA-AASI on-snow Level I Prep event BEFORE you register for the level I assessment. Or you can register for a 5-Day Level I College which includes both the prep course and the assessment.
• Be a current Registered Member of PSIA-AASI in good standing and at least 14 years of age.
• You should prepare by reading the Alpine Assessment Guide and Alpine Technical Manual as well as the Teaching Snowsports manual. Digital versions of these manuals are available from the National office.
• Complete the Alpine Level I eLearning Course prior to registering for the on-snow assessment.
• PLEASE NOTE: While a school director’s signature is not required, we strongly encourage you to notify your director so that he or she is both aware of and can help ensure that you are prepared for a successful exam experience. When you register for a Level I Certification Assessment you are attesting that you have read and completed all prerequisites prior to taking the Level I Certification exam.

Requirements

• Prior to registering for the on-snow assessment, you must complete the Alpine Level I eLearning Course.
• Successfully pass an on-snow assessment.
  • At this assessment you will be expected to understand, teach and engage students in the Novice Zone.
  • The candidate may attend a 2-day Level I Assessment. Or, the candidate may attend the 5-day Level I College.
  • The candidate must pass the Level I Assessment Criteria in the Alpine Assessment Guide.
• All participants must follow the PSIA-AASI Eastern Event Participant Safety Policy.

Once certified, click here for a summary of what is required to maintain PSIA-AASI Certification.

Resources

• Alpine Level I eLearning Course
• Alpine Assessment Guide
• Digital Manuals
• Certification Standards, Fundamentals and Performance Guides 
• Event Participant Safety Policy
• Alpine Assessment Forms
• Digital Learning Hub
• Matrix
• Member Customized Events

Once you attain your Alpine Level I certification, you are also eligible to take any courses that require a Level I certification as a prerequisite, so even if your goal is not additional certification or accreditation, there are still lots of opportunities to improve your skills in educational clinics.  See the Continuing Education section or the Event Calendar for more details.  You can also consider some of the Level II Prep events as a way to keep moving forward in your professional development.

Continuing Education

There are lots of options to continue your professional growth and maintain your certification both on and off snow.

*What is a member required to do to maintain certification?

For on-snow events, please see the Event Calendar.

Filter the calendar by:

• month
• discipline
• event location
• state
• resort 
• and/or type of clinic to see options.

Find course descriptions and the right event for you with our new Event Finder.

Member Customized Events

Online courses you can complete at your own pace:

If you need the flexibility of an online option, we have several e-learning courses you can take to earn credits:

Go to Eastern Online Courses for the following options (6 CEUs each):

• History of Skiing
• History of Snowboarding
• Aging and the Senior Skier
• Teaching Students with Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

Go to the Digital Learning Hub for other E-Learning Courses:

• Skate to Ski (6 CEUs)
• Teaching Families and Groups (6 CEUs)
• Alpine Movement Analysis (1 CEU)
• ACL Strong – Knee Injury Prevention (2 CEUs)
• And more non-credit and 1 credit programs.

Prerecorded webinars that offer credits:

There are many prerecorded webinars you can watch at your convenience to earn CEU credits.

Go to Eastern Webinars to see Eastern programs including the following and more:

• Exploring Common Movements Between Disciplines (1 CEU) with Kathy Brennan, Brian Donovan and Keith Rodney
• Converting Beginners into Lifelong Snowsports Enthusiasts (1 CEU) with Joe Forte
• Movement Prioritization (1 CEU) with Nate Gardner
• Stance and Alignment: The Alpine Boot and the Body (1 CEU) with Dave Taylor

Click on Digital Learning Hub Webinars for National programs including and more:

• The Importance of Failure (1 CEU) with Mermer Blakeslee and Maggie Loring
• The Unified Assessment Form: An Examiner’s Perspective (1 CEU) with Eric Rolls
• Checking Under the Hood Webinar (1 CEU) with Krista Crabtree and Heidi Ettlinger
• The Art of Being (More) Emotionally Intelligent (1 CEU) with Fran Tone
• Create Your Own Place at the Table (1 CEU) with Amy Gan

Children’s or Freestyle Specialist 1

If you have a particular area of interest, now that you’ve achieved your Level I certification, you are eligible to take some of the specialist courses. These are nationally recognized “Certificate Based” programs that address teaching special populations or activities. The courses have an evaluative component, but they are also highly educational in nature. Take advantage of any of these educational opportunities that are focused on your particular area(s) of interest. If you are working toward your Alpine Level II certification, be aware that the Children’s Specialist 1 is a prerequisite course for the Alpine Level II Teaching Assessment.

• Children’s Specialist 1 (CS1)
• Freestyle Specialist 1 (FS1)

Alpine Level II Certification

Prerequisites

• Must be Alpine Level I Certified and a current member or Snowboard, Tele or Cross Country Level II Certified and follow the Crossover / Cross Discipline Policy.
• It is highly recommended to be a current employee of a snowsports school.
• We highly recommend a minimum of 150 hours of combined in-house training and actual on-hill teaching.
• Pass online Alpine Level II Professional Knowledge Exam prior to registering for any on-snow portion.
• Please note: While a school director’s signature is not required, we strongly encourage you to notify your director so that he or she is both aware of and can help ensure that you are prepared for a successful exam experience.
• Attain Children’s Specialist 1 prior to taking the Teaching Assessment.
• A skiing or teaching clinic is recommended to help candidate prepare for the assessment.

Requirements

• One-day Level II Skiing Assessment: Candidates will be evaluated on the Assessment Criteria of the National Standards.
• One-day Level II Teaching Assessment: Candidates will have multiple opportunities to teach and show their knowledgebase through group and individual participation and questions by the evaluators. Scoring will reflect the Learning Connection Model – Technical, Teaching and People Skills.
• If the candidate prefers, there is an option to attend a five-day skiing or teaching college.
• All participants must follow the PSIA-AASI Eastern Event Participant Safety Policy.

Resources

• Alpine Level II Professional Knowledge Exam
• Digital Learning Hub
• Matrix
• Alpine Assessment Guide
• Alpine Skiing Assessment Activities
• Digital Manuals
• Certification Standards, Fundamentals and Performance Guides 
• Event Participant Safety Policy
• Alpine Assessment Forms
• Children’s Specialist 1 Information
• Children’s Specialist 1 E-Learning course

Children’s, Freestyle or Adaptive Specialist 2 or 3

If you want to continue your professional development in your particular area of interest, Children’s Specialist 2, Freestyle Specialist 2 or 3 or Adaptive Specialist 2 or 3 are great options.

• Children’s Specialist 2 
• Freestyle Specialist 2
• Freestyle Specialist 3
• Adaptive Specialist 2 or 3

Once you’ve achieved your Alpine Level II, you are also eligible to take any courses that require a Level II certification as a prerequisite, so even if you’ve achieved your certification goals already, there are still lots of opportunities to improve your skills in educational clinics.  You can also consider some of the Level III Prep events as a way to keep moving forward in your professional development.

Alpine Advanced Educator Program

The Advanced Educator is a certificate-based program for all Alpine Level II Certified and Alpine Level III Certified members, updated in 2024. This program requires commitment, as well as a sense of purpose for developing professionally.

Many program courses are open to members of any level and may be taken by instructors who are not pursuing the Advanced Educator Program but find a specific course that is of interest. Some Advanced Educator Program courses are only open to Alpine Level II Certified and Alpine Level III Certified members (CS2, for example).

The Advanced Educator Program is designed to allow continued professional development opportunities for instructors even if the desired goal is not a higher level of certification. This is an Eastern Region program and is not recognized nationally; therefore all required courses must be completed in the Eastern Region.

Completing the Advanced Educator Program will require the participant to complete all five modules for a total of eight courses:

Any member who completes the series of required courses/modules will be awarded a Advanced Educator Program certificate of completion AND the option to attend an Alpine Level III Teaching or Tech/MA assessment module free of charge.

The Advanced Educator Program must be completed within 5 years of beginning the program. The program starts on the date that the participant completes their registration form.

With the exception of the CS2, there are no evaluative components to this program, and members do not need to be pursuing Alpine Level III Certification to complete this program.

All interested members must indicate their interest in the program by completing THIS FORM.

Are you ready for the challenge?

Alpine Level III Certification

Prerequisites

• Must be Alpine Level II Certified and a current member or Snowboard, Tele or Cross Country Level III Certified and follow the Crossover / Cross Discipline Policy.
• It is highly recommended to be a current employee of a snowsports school.
• It is highly recommended that you’ve taught a minimum of 300 hours; of which ideally, 150 were at advanced levels.
• Pass the online Alpine Level III Professional Knowledge Exam prior to registering for on-snow components.
• Please note: While a school director’s signature is not required, we strongly encourage you to notify your director so that he or she is both aware of and can help ensure that you are prepared for a successful exam experience.
• Attend a skiing OR teaching prerequisite in the current season or either of the previous two seasons and prior to the Level III Teaching Assessment. Please see below.

Requirements

Candidates must successfully complete:

• One-day Alpine Level III Assessment – Skiing Module
• One-day Alpine Level III Assessment – Teaching/People Module
• One-day Alpine Level III Assessment – Tech/MA Module

Candidates will be evaluated on the Assessment Criteria of the National Standards.

All participants must follow the PSIA-AASI Eastern Event Participant Safety Policy.

Resources

• Alpine Level III Professional Knowledge Exam
• Alpine Assessment Guide
• Alpine Skiing Assessment Activities
• Certification Standards, Fundamentals and Performance Guides 
• Digital Manuals
• Event Participant Safety Policy
• Digital Learning Hub
• Matrix
• Alpine Assessment Forms

Development Team

Are you a Level III instructor who would like to take it to the next level and join the Education Staff? The Dev Team is a group of highly skilled Level III instructors who are training to become Eastern Examiners. They are chosen by way of a demanding and competitive tryout. They receive training that focuses on sharpening their skiing skills, their teaching skills, their people skills, and their professional knowledge. The goal is to develop highly effective clinicians to deliver a wide range of educational events to the membership.

The Development Team Tryout is your first step toward joining the PSIA-AASI Eastern Education Staff. Through this rigorous, on-snow interview, selectors evaluate your readiness for the Development Team—an up to four-year training program where talented instructors refine their skills and prepare for Education Staff service.

This event functions as both a professional interview and an on-snow evaluation of skills. Participants demonstrate their ability to apply the Learning Connection Model—integrating people skills, teaching skills, and technical skills—while modeling the highest levels of professionalism, communication, and self-awareness.

ACE Development Team

The ACE (Advanced Children’s Educators) staff is a highly trained and very experienced group of snowsports educators specializing in Children’s snowsports education. The ACE Team is responsible for delivering the Children’s focused events throughout the season. In addition to delivering these events, the ACE Team plays a key role in working with the entire education staff regarding Children’s snowsports education.

Are you a Level III instructor who would like to take it to the next level and join the Education Staff? The Dev Team is a group of highly skilled Level III instructors who are training to become Eastern Examiners. They are chosen by way of a demanding and competitive tryout. They receive training that focuses on sharpening their skiing skills, their teaching skills, their people skills, and their professional knowledge. The goal is to develop highly effective clinicians to deliver a wide range of educational events to the membership.

The Development Team Tryout is your first step toward joining the PSIA-AASI Eastern Education Staff. Through this rigorous, on-snow interview, selectors evaluate your readiness for the Development Team—an up to four-year training program where talented instructors refine their skills and prepare for Education Staff service.

This event functions as both a professional interview and an on-snow evaluation of skills. Participants demonstrate their ability to apply the Learning Connection Model—integrating people skills, teaching skills, and technical skills—while modeling the highest levels of professionalism, communication, and self-awareness.

Eastern Team

The Eastern Team Tryout is a rigorous, on-snow interview and selection process for PSIA-AASI Eastern members seeking to represent the region on the Eastern Team in preparation for the 2028 National Team Tryout. Eastern Team members serve as ambassadors for the Learning Connection Model and demonstrate leadership across the people, teaching, and technical skills that define PSIA-AASI’s highest standards.

This multi-discipline event will closely mirror the National Tryout environment. Candidates will participate in both cross-discipline activities—where Adaptive, Alpine, Cross Country, Snowboard, and Telemark candidates may all be present—and discipline-specific sessions designed to highlight individual strengths. Our goal is to identify educators who exhibit exceptional versatility, professionalism, and a strong ability to perform, coach, and inspire across all facets of snowsports education.