On June 9th 2020, the AMGA launched a new Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Scholarship Fund. In an incredible 24-hours of giving, AMGA Instructor Team members committed nearly $5,000. The Kosseff Family and other donors committed another $5,000. Throughout the summer, our membership donated over $13,000 and we reached over $20,000 in donations. Thank you to those who generously contributed and supported your fellow guides and instructors.*
Azissa Singh, AMGA Board Member, and Monserrat Alvarez, Membership and Inclusion Coordinator, engaged in listening sessions with BIPOC members of the AMGA community. Thanks to those members, we were able to identify key barriers to entry, support mechanisms, and sustainability in our profession. It was clear to us that this scholarship fund needed to be built outside of our normal scholarship model to address the barriers shared during these listening sessions. Our team crafted an alternative scholarship fund model, with added transparency and considerations for the distribution of funds with the goal of uplifting AMGA’s BIPOC Membership. An official proposal crafted by our Membership and Inclusion Coordinator and advised by the DEI Committee was approved by our executive officers on January 8th, 20201. This process may seem delayed yet we are striving to create intention in this process. We are striving to move forward with full transparency for both the BIPOC community that the fund is going to support and our members who helped us created the fund.
Given that we are creating an alternative model for distributing funds, we believe that it is key to seek advisors on this process within our membership. Below you will find a projected timeline, key dates, and FAQ. More questions? Email [email protected]
These advisory committee members:
Projected Timeline:
Thank you to our donors:
Jameson MacFarland | Bruce Hodgkins | Rainbow Weinstock | Jediah Porter |
Steven J Creech | Clifford Agocs | William M Wade | Gary Kuehn Gift Trust |
Ian Fowler | Bradley Ward | Adrian Ballinger/ Alpenglow Expeditions | Samuel Perlik |
Jamie Harpster | Michael Bratina | Ben D Zavora | Anonymous Donor |
Steven Schwortz | Matthew Zia | John White | Patrick Hansen |
Brooke Warren | Matthew Shove | Jeffrey Mascaro/Smile Mountain Guides | Kate McHugh |
Simon Clinton | John MacKinnon | Dougald MacDonald | Aneta Tyminski |
Marc Fryt | Scott Wilton | Kate McHugh | Aneta Tyminski |
Justin Carter | Nicholas Wilkes | Bryan Jarrett | Devin Bishop |
Justin Carter | Sean Zimmerman-Wall | Szu-ting Yi | Tucker Cunningham |
Eeva Latosuo | Sheldon Kerr | Isaac Perloff | Brenda Hollon |
Patrick Hansen | Andrew Megas-Russell | Laura Watt | Kevin M Shon |
Joshua Levin | Bradley Ward | Paul Alberti | Silas M Rossi |
Azissa Singh | Samuel Fletcher | Thomas Heinrichs | Alexandra M Taran |
In an effort to make the most impact with the funds donated by our membership, we are exploring ways in which we can amplify the impact of these funds beyond mountain guide program fees. Our members of color expressed direct ways in which we can support them and these funds intend to address not only barriers of entry but continual support through their professional careers.
The BIPOC Scholarship Fund is intended to award grants to individuals seeking to further their professional goals and career as guides or instructors. These grants are intended to address the barriers faced by guides and instructors of color and directly support their AMGA training. This includes, but is not limited to:
Members of staff, Board of Directors, and DEI Committee will evaluate applications. We crafted a sample rubric that will take into consideration: overall quality of application, history of community involvement, identity and lived experiences, familiarity with AMGA programs. See the rubric here.
Between the months of March-May, you can expect an average of ~5 hours of volunteer time per week. This will decrease once applications are reviewed and funds are distributed although follow-up tasks will need to be completed.
List of sample tasks for Advisory Committee: