Outdoor Scholarships for Women and BIPOC Athletes This Year

There’s still a lack of diversity in the outdoors. Thankfully, many organizations, nonprofit groups, brands, and individuals are taking action to change that. In recent years, dozens of organizations and education courses have expanded opportunities for certifications, participation, clinics, and more. So, we decided to create a roundup of opportunities for this upcoming year that focus on equity in participation and leadership.

This isn’t an exhaustive list; we’ll update it as more programming opportunities become available. Scholarships listed here have application deadlines ranging from March to December 2024. Many applications are already starting for the 2024/25 season.

Editor’s note: Many scholarship programs and organizations, like NOLS and AMGA, offer education courses, and are open to all applicants. In this article, we focus on programs with specific provisions for minorities — BIPOC, queer, and female applicants — to help increase equity in the outdoors and outdoor industry.

BIPOC Scholarship Resources

Blackbird Mountain Guides (CA, WA): Scholarships are available for Blackbird Mountain Guides programming. “The Blackbird BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Avalanche Course Scholarship is to acknowledge a lack of representation in the ski industry and remove financial barriers to avalanche education.” Scholarships can be used for AIARE or Avalanche Rescue courses. Applications open in fall 2024.

Climbers of Color: Offers scholarships year-round for alpine, climbing, ice and rock, and leadership courses and trips. Visit the website for more info. Climbers of Color also offers a program for discounted gym climbing memberships.

Eddie Bauer One Outside Film Grant program: Eddie Bauer’s program (founded in 2021) awards six $10,000 grants to BIPOC filmmakers. Filmmakers will also receive support through workshops with the brand’s One Outside community leaders. Eddie Bauer has not yet announced applications for 2024.

Spyder and National Brotherhood of Skiers Scholarship Program: The first year of this scholarship, sponsored by Spyder and NBS, is open to Black junior skiers. “The scholarship program will sponsor three junior Black skiers per year until they earn their high school diplomas,” said Spyder in a Facebook post.

Black man wearing SPYDER goggles while downhill skiing and smiling — NBS President Henri Rivers skiing.

National Brotherhood of Skiers Women of Winter Scholarships: Besides its annual summit, the NBS now offers a scholarship program for BIWOC (women of color) to become Alpine Ski or Snowboard instructors. Scholarships open each fall for the following winter season. Learn more online.

EDGE Outdoors Snow Sports Scholarships: This scholarship program for women of color “[addresses] the invisibility of WOC in snowsports by eliminating entry cost barriers.” Scholarships for 2024 include ski and ride scholarships, athlete development scholarships, and instructor training scholarships. The application process opens each fall.

A Quick Brown Fox Thee Abundance Mini-Grant Program: This cycling-focused grant program, organized by pro cyclist Ayesha Rosena Anna McGowan, is open to Black and Brown women of color. “5-7 women of color will receive free entry and support to race the Tour of America’s Dairyland,” organizers shared in 2022. The program has since expanded. Applications for two mini-grants, sponsored by Zwift and SRAM, open in April 2024 and May 2024, respectively.

AMGA Affinity Scholarships: Scholarship applications closed in February 2024; there are over nine different affinity courses available in 2024, specific for women, LGBTQ+ and queer folks, and BIPOC participants. Programs run from May 2024 through October 2024.

how to gym climb pointers questions new climber — (Photo/Nate Mitka)

A clinic group at ALL IN Ice Fest, 2024; (photo/Mary Murphy)

ALL IN Ice Fest: A newer festival in the world of ice climbing, founded by Dr. Liz Sahagún, ALL IN’s mission is to “elevate and highlight marginalized communities — including Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA2S+ communities, and adaptive climbers.” The Festival not only offers specific clinics and workshops for BIPOC and adaptive climbers but also a guide and professional development program. The festival and paid clinics are accessible and provided on a sliding cost scale.

Women’s Scholarship Resources

Orvis 50/50 on the Water Program: This program offers scholarships and educational opportunities for women in fishing and paddling. A portion of proceeds from each Orvis 50/50 on the Water campaign hat or T-shirt “goes to creating more fishing courses, resources, and experiences for women.” In addition to its program for women, Orvis also offers a Breaking Barrier Award for minority anglers for their leadership, representation, education, service, and work in their communities. Info on nominations can be found online.

AAI Guide Like Liz Scholarship: Applications for this American Alpine Insitute scholarship can be applied toward any seven mountaineering, rope, leadership, or alpinism AAI courses. Anyone 18 and over who “identifies as belonging to marginalized genders, including female, genderqueer, trans, non-binary, and femmes” is eligible. The program was established in honor of guide Liz Daley, who died in an avalanche in Patagonia in 2014. The application is currently open for 2024. Apply now online.

AIARE Women’s Scholarship Program: “Women make up a disproportionately small number of avalanche educators in the U.S., and many women in the field find it difficult to grow and sustain their careers. The financial, sociological, and other barriers faced by everyone in the industry are often exacerbated for women.” 2024 marks AIARE’s third season of its Women’s Mentorship Program. Interested participants can apply to either be a mentee or mentor. Applications for 2024/2025 open in the fall.