Mountains of Discovery Changes How Kids Learn to Ski and Ride.

Breckenridge is turning children's ski school into an adventure for kids 3-13.  The new Mountains of Discovery gets kids out of the ski school yard and onto the mountain, exploring while learning.  Combining elements of passion and creativity, instructors are able to teach the fundamentals of the traditional ski and ride school while building a sense of passion for the sport.  This differs from the conventional method that uses a very specific lesson plan that is taught in a designated teaching area or run for teaching all levels of kids.

Mountains of Discovery divides students into four groups based on ski or snowboard level - Mt. Quandary, Mt. Massive, Mt. McKinley, and Mt. Everest.  Each category is given a list of things to "discover" over the course of the lesson that incorporates both the excitement and skills of skiing or snowboarding as well as the concept of making learning fun.

For example, the Mt. Quandary or beginner student is challenged to:

• ski/ride on of Breckenridge's peaks,
• ski/ride one designated kids trail (e.g. Ripperoo's Forest or Sidewinder Junction), or
• ski/ride three trails at the resort.

The list of goals changes with each level and is designed to teach skills in a way that conveys the adventure to be had with snowsports.  A skiing report card  or snowboard report card  is given to each child highlighting his or her accomplishments.