Ski Utah is replacing its fourth-grade Passport Program with an after-school ski and snowboard program for elementary students, partnering with the Youth Sports Alliance to get local kids on the mountain at Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain and Woodward Park City starting this winter.
The new program includes on-mountain lessons, transportation from campus and income-based scholarships, Ski Utah Director of Communications Alison Palmintere told the Park Record on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The fifth- and sixth-grade Passport Program and the Yeti and Gold Passes, which provide access to all 15 Utah resorts, will continue.
The Youth Sports Alliance confirmed the collaboration on its Get Out & Play program page, updated July 30, noting it is working with school districts around the Wasatch Front.
Discover Winter enters fourth season
Ski Utah's Discover Winter program, which teaches adults from underrepresented communities to ski or snowboard, enters its fourth season this winter. The program has served more than 1,100 participants since launching and accepts about 350 applicants per year.
Participants receive four complimentary lessons during January and February at nine resorts, including Deer Valley and Park City Mountain, along with gear rentals, winter clothing, transportation and a Yeti Pass upon completing the series. Some graduates have gone on to become ski instructors, according to Palmintere.
"There are lots of programs out there geared towards getting kids out on the slopes," Palmintere said. "But we realize that if the kid doesn't have an adult who skis in their life, it makes it a little more difficult for them to continue skiing."
Sponsors include Morgan Stanley, the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, Delta Air Lines and the Utah Office of Tourism.
Programs follow record-low snow season
The new initiatives come after a bruising 2025-26 winter. Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz said on the company's June 8 earnings call that Rocky Mountain resorts, including Park City Mountain, saw 24% less visitation compared to the prior year, as reported by KPCW. He called it the worst decline in 40 years outside of COVID-related closures.
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center gave El Niño a 97% chance of continuing through early spring 2027 in its July 9 update, with an 81% chance of reaching "very strong" intensity between October and December. Utah's seasonal outlook leans near to above average snowfall, though confidence remains low to moderate.
Palmintere said viral videos of dry slopes last season were "unfortunate" but noted resorts have taken snowmaking technology seriously for years.
Ski Utah's pre-season marketing push includes billboards, TV ads, social media campaigns and in-person visits across the country. The organization is also promoting responsible tourism, asking visitors to plan ahead for parking, ski school and dinner reservations, and reminding locals that resort workers are their neighbors.
Applications for Discover Winter are available at skiutah.com. Details on the YSA after-school program are at ysausa.org.
