The Gunnison Community School Ski for PE program provides a path for students to hit the hill in a supportive, affordable way.

Lift tickets, rentals, transportation and lessons add up fast, often putting skiing out of reach for families nearby. The long-running Ski for PE program changes that. By merging physical education, community partnerships and creative fundraising, Ski for PE gets every student out on snow—affordably, safely, and repeatedly—so skiing becomes a shared experience rather than an exclusive one.

The program’s roots go back decades, beginning as a grassroots effort led by teachers who believed outdoor recreation belonged in the school day, said Matt Harris, elementary PE teacher with 19 years at Gunnison Community Schools. Over time, the program evolved into a structured, multi-grade pipeline that introduces students to Nordic skiing in third grade and alpine skiing in fourth through sixth.

That early exposure matters.

“It’s a good opportunity when kids are young to have good experiences to hook them into an opportunity experience that they might enjoy later in their life,” Harris said. “They’re going to find things that they enjoy, and they’re going to find things that they don’t enjoy. The more we can expose them to, the more that they might go, well, maybe this is something I want to do more of.”

Third graders begin with cross-country skiing on campus, enjoying a track set by Gunnison Nordic Center (a 2025 MetRec grantee). For many students, this is their first time clicking into skis. They learn to stand up after falling, to balance and to keep moving despite cold fingers or wobbly legs. This group also heads up to the Crested Butte Nordic Center (a 2025 MetRec grantee) for two half-day field experiences.

“If you can get kids past that initial frustration zone they start to enjoy it,” Harris said.

Repetition builds confidence, and confidence opens the door to lifelong participation.

In fourth grade, students transition to downhill skiing at CBMR. Over the course of a month, each student skis once a week for four full days, receiving professional instruction, rentals and transportation. By the end of sixth grade, a student can log up to 12 full ski days.

This year, the cost for fourth through sixth graders is $115. Compare that to the $353 price tag for a single day child’s full-day lesson with rentals and a lift ticket at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR).

Thanks to the Vail Promise program, students on free and reduced lunch pay $0. All financial barriers are removed, ensuring that no child is excluded due to family income.

Those gaps are further closed through local support. Fundraising events—like the schoolwide “Ski Extravaganza” raise dollars while bringing together community members. Families pay a small entry fee and enjoy movies, bounce houses, raffles and even teacher pie-in-the-face fundraisers.

The proceeds help offset transportation costs, crowdsources soft gear like snowpants and jackets, and keeps participation fees low for families who fall just above assistance thresholds.

Beyond finances, Ski for PE reduces other barriers: lack of equipment, lack of transportation and lack of familiarity. CBMR staff travel to Gunnison schools for boot fitting days, ensuring every child arrives on the mountain ready to ski. Instruction is handled by trained professionals, improving safety and reducing injuries while allowing kids to progress at their own pace.

The program works with the Adaptive Sports Center (a 2025 MetRec grantee) to provide appropriate equipment and instruction for students with different needs. 

The impact goes beyond physical skills. Ski for PE builds shared memories—bus rides, hot chocolate breaks, first chairlift rides—and creates connections between students who may not otherwise cross paths. On the mountain, academic labels fade. Kids regroup by ability, not test scores, discovering new ways to see themselves and each other.

In a sport often defined by exclusivity, Gunnison’s Ski for PE program proves another model is possible. With the right mix of schools, nonprofits, resorts and community support, skiing becomes what it should be in a mountain town: an open door, not a locked gate.