Item: Avalanche Awareness at the Jackson Hole High School
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Title: Avalanche Awareness at the Jackson Hole High School
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2016 Proceedings, Breckenridge, CO, USA
Authors:
- Sarah Carpenter [ American Avalanche Institute, Victor, ID, USA ]
- Trevor Deighton [ American Avalanche Institute, Victor, ID, USA ]
Date: 2016-10-02
Abstract: Each year, more young skiers, riders, and snowmobilers are accessing the backcountry. For the past 12 years, the American Avalanche Institute has been working with the Jackson Hole High School (JHHS) to provide avalanche education to the youth of Teton County, WY. The current awareness program at JHHS consists of 9 days of classroom instruction and one field day during the school week. Additionally, students can choose to participate in two more days of field training and complete a level 1 course. This winter, to inform instruction and maximize outcomes, students participating in the Avalanche Physics and Awareness program participated in pre and post course surveys. Some notable survey results include the fact that 58% of JHHS seniors have been personally affected by someone being caught, injured or killed in an avalanche. Out of the 100+ students in the avalanche awareness course, 70% of JHHS Seniors ski, snowboard or snowmobile, 40% venture into Avalanche terrain and pre-course, only 20% had Avalanche training. Pre-course, 50% of students knew how to get the avalanche forecast and the avalanche hazard rating. Post-course, 100% of students knew where to find this information. At the end of the Avalanche Physics and Awareness program, students completed a graded focused unit assessment which including video questions and accident analysis. They also completed an ungraded post course survey which included several questions that were answered in the pre-course survey. Based on survey results, students' ability to recognize avalanche terrain and recognize bulls-eye clues improved during the course. One student said, "I learned so much about avalanches and now I know what to look for when I'm skiing and how to be prepared..." This avalanche awareness program continues to grow and evolve, in an effort to educate the youth of Teton County, WY.
Object ID: ISSW16_O4.03.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s):
Keywords: avalanche education, youth education, Wyoming
Page Number(s): 89-94
Subjects: youth avalanche education backcountry access Teton County, WY
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