The 2025 scholarship application cycle is open!

Thank you for your interest in our Winter Backcountry Preparedness scholarship program for Truckee/North Tahoe area students.

Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue is pleased to announce the team’s 6th annual Tahoe Nordic SAR Winter Backcountry Preparedness Scholarship Program for 2025. The scholarship is open to all local Truckee/North Tahoe high school students, covers the costs of a one-day comprehensive Avalanche Companion Rescue Course (~$300 value) which will occur on Sunday, January 5, 2025. Deadline to apply is Monday, December 16, 2024, and applicants will be notified of selection later that week!

Exploring the North Tahoe/Truckee backcountry on skis, a snowmobile, a splitboard or snowshoes is a great way to see these areas in all of their winter glory but it also requires a level of knowledge and skill that is beyond what is needed “inside the ropes”. Tahoe is always at risk of an avalanche incident and by offering these scholarships Tahoe Nordic SAR hopes to mitigate future incidents by providing preventative training to the general public, especially young adults. Our local high school students are an active and significant user group in the resort side country and local backcountry areas and it is Tahoe Nordic SAR’s goal to make it as easy as possible for this demographic to get the knowledge and skills they need to be educated and safe in avalanche terrain. 

This one day class offering will be led by veteran snow safety professionals Logan Talbott and Devin Hiemstra. These instructors have many years of experience in Avalanche Education, Mountain guiding and Ski Patrol (in addition to volunteering with Tahoe Nordic SAR), and they are excited to share their knowledge with this year’s scholarship recipients!

Tahoe Nordic SAR will award twelve scholarships to aspiring leaders of local backcountry recreation who have a commitment to public safety and a drive to serve our community. This interactive one-day course will cover topics and skills including avalanche rescue, avalanche rescue equipment and avalanche scenario practice. 

All applicants must reside in the Truckee/North Tahoe area and attend Truckee HS, North Tahoe HS, Incline HS, Forest Charter School, Sugar Bowl Academy, Tahoe Expedition Academy or Sierra High School. 

To apply for this scholarship applicants should thoughtfully answer the following questions in this application form (https://forms.gle/Ut6WKaZWC2b8k4PP9), which will ask you for personal details as well as answers to questions about your backcountry experience, interest in the course, and how you would use the knowledge and skills from the course to benefit the community.

Please fill out the form as soon as possible, and no later than the deadline. Thank you for applying!