LUDLOW, Vt. – In the early 1970s, Phys Ed. teacher and athletic coach at the Black River Elementary School (BRES) in Ludlow, Jennifer Stowell, started a ski sports program as part of her P.E. curriculum. Stowell came to the school in 1962, and she’d already instituted girls’ basketball, field hockey, and softball teams during her first decade there.
Stowell was volunteering with the school’s ski racing club when she realized her other students would benefit from a weekly ski program. “There we were looking at the mountain every day, so the idea made sense,” Stowell explained. “Most of the teachers were also skiiers, so they came in as volunteer instructors. The ones that didn’t ski helped out in other ways.”
Okemo mountain was being run by a group of local business owners at the time, and between 1964 and 1970 they expanded trails, added the area’s first chairlift, additional Poma lifts, a new snowmaking system, and a base lodge. When Stowell initiated the ski program at BRES, Okemo was offering top to bottom chairlift access for the first time.
Fifty ski seasons later the school ski program that Stowell began continues and has grown to include elementary schools in Chester-Andover, Mount Holly, and Cavendish Town Elementary, as well as Green Mountain Union High School (GMUHS) in Chester.
The Windsor County school district office, Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU), takes care of the fingerprinting and background checks required for volunteers. Krista Boni, administrative assistant at TRSU, said they vetted 164 participants this season.
Some area schools outside of TRSU’s jurisdiction have started ski programs utilizing Okemo Mountain’s discounted rates, including Saxton’s River Elementary, and Vermont Academy.
Jarrod Harper, program director for Cavendish Elementary, said the fee for the program is $35, and rentals for the season are $65, but equipment can be in short supply, although he said he wasn’t aware of any problems with his students renting gear this year.
Each participating school runs independently of one another and relies on support from their communities to help fund operations. At the Chester-Andover Elementary School (CAES), Kim Leonard says, “It’s very much a group effort.” About 100 students at CAES participated this season, and between 20-25 volunteer helpers joined them.
Kelly Goodrich coordinates the program at GMUHS with help from volunteer parents and teachers, including two local women who bake cookies for the group every week. The Booster Club and One Credit Union also provided snacks this season. Goodrich reports they had 73 students participate this year, from grades 7-12. Other than skipping the past few years due to the pandemic, GMUHS has been involved in the ski program for at least 20 years.
Between 80-85 students from Mount Holly enrolled this year, Ludlow had about 60 kids in the program, and Cavendish saw 46 participants, down from around 70 last year, due to lower student enrollment.
Lorien Kelly, the On-snow Coordinator for Ludlow Elementary’s winter sports program said, “A lot of our kids are what we call ‘never-evers,’ meaning they’ve never been on skis or a snowboard before. The first two weeks of the program Okemo offers free lessons.”
Harper relayed he sees about 10-12 new kids come into the program each year, but a lot of his students return year after year.
Kelly mentioned non-skiers can partake too, and this year Ludlow had six students and two volunteer helpers who snowshoed at Fox Run golf course. Equipment rentals and use of the facility were provided free-of-charge by owner Troy Caruso. This idea also began with Stowell. When she encountered parents who felt skiing was too dangerous a sport for their kids to practice, Stowell found other options for those students, including ice skating and cross-country skiing.
Harper started volunteering with the ski program when his own children were in school about 15 years ago. “Now, every Tuesday morning,” Harper said. “I show up with 3 ½ gallons of hot chocolate. I’ll work as the base lodge coordinator first, then typically I’ll take the littlest kids down Mountain Road.”
OMARA, the non-profit booster club in Ludlow, lends support to the ski program, as does Mary Davis Realtor & Associates, and Noah Schmidt, founder of Open Door Vacation Rentals, who also serves as a volunteer helper. Several of the schools use fundraising and scholarships to help students who need financial assistance.
Harper said they apply the same rating system as Okemo Mountain to assess skiers’ skill level and admitted over the years he has seen some broken wrists and a few mild concussions. At the beginning of each season Harper conducts a basic safety and concussion awareness review with students and volunteers.
Across all participating communities volunteers are always needed and appreciated. Contact your local school’s administration if you’re interested in joining the fun for the 2024 season.