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EKAS Program

Eight Sundays each winter, EKAS volunteers provide the opportunity for people of all ages with disabilities to actively participate in adaptive snow sports. Our mandate is to provide affordable skiing and snowboard lessons in a safe, supportive environment that instills physical confidence and enjoyment of outdoor winter sport. EKAS has been a registered non-profit society the past ten years. Kimberley RCR generously supports our club members with significantly discounted lift tickets and equipment rentals, abating financial barriers.   Now, thanks to grant funding from Canadian Tire Jumpstart, we are delighted to actively build participant, volunteer and funding partner capacity.

Participants

All of our participants have a diagnosis of physical and/or cognitive disability.  Of our seventeen students last year, the vast majority were supported for ASD, ADHD, also CI, DD, SPD, FASD, Down Syndrome, VI and CP, ranging in age from 5-16. Having family ski/snowboard with or near participants builds a life-long connection to continue as a family sport. For adaptive learners, success in individual sport within a supportive community can increase physical and mental health, while building self-confidence toward autonomy. This we see all the time so heart-warmingly. 

Instructors

Our instructors are (CADS) Canadian Adaptive Snowsports certified to teach snow sports to physically and cognitively disabled individuals including the physical, emotional, and intellectual aspects of expert teaching. The first level of training addresses neurodiverse learners, preparing volunteer instructors to teach the majority of our learners. Participants are carefully matched with an appropriate pair of instructors to start, based on gender, age, personality, skill level and type of disability. More advanced participants may only need one appropriately matched instructor.  

School Ski Days

When schools take students to ski days, snow school staff are relied upon to provide lessons. However., for adaptive learners,

We invite…

Teachers and Educational Assistants already invested in the well-being of these students to become CADS certified to support students’ needs within our club and/or on school ski days.  Students benefit from consistent familiar teaching and support, building self-confidence, physical skill and the feeling of inclusion. All of our volunteer instructors find it a joyful experience to work with their learners. The mutual results shine in the smiles and humour shared.