Academic Partners
SSCV Academic Partners for Full-Time Athletes
Through strong partnerships developed over the years, SSCV full-time athletes can pursue their passion for snow sports in parallel with focusing on a rigorous academic curriculum at one of SSCV’s Academic Partners.
- VAIL SKI & SNOWBOARD ACADEMY (VSSA) – 5th-12th grade Eagle County public school educating SSCV full-time athletes
- VAIL MOUNTAIN SCHOOL (VMS) – K-12th grade tuition-based independent school
- RED SANDSTONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (RSES) – K-5th grade Eagle County public school with a cooperative arrangement with SSCV for 3rd-5th grade students to take part in a (i) qualified SSCV four day a week full-time program* and (ii) school schedule which meets their unique academic needs
*comprised of two half days mid-week and Saturdays and Sundays as calendared
Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy (VSSA)
Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy was founded in 2007 through an academic partnership between SSCV and Eagle County Schools (ECS) to provide full-time SSCV athletes access to a fully accredited and certified college preparatory school. VSSA is the first public ski and snowboard academy in the country. It is a small, nurturing academic community with robust public school resources where SSCV full-time athletes can excel academically and athletically alongside developing a value system and a lifestyle which will enable them to succeed as adults.
VSSA has approximately 225 students in grades 5 – 12 training and competing in an SSCV full-time alpine, freeski, freestyle, Nordic or snowboard program. VSSA is located in Minturn, Colorado just 10 miles from SSCV’s Golden Peak base area and Clubhouse and adjacent to SSCV’s Nordic training area at Maloit Park and dryland facility at the Minturn Fitness Center.
As a public school, VSSA greatly increases the financial accessibility of its students to an integrated full-time athletic and academic solution coupled with SSCV’s financial aid program.
- Acceptance as a full-time athlete by SSCV as well as acceptance as a student by VSSA are both pre-requisites to attending VSSA.
Vail Mountain School (VMS)
SSCV Academic Partner Vail Mountain School is a K -12 college-preparatory school that provides an independent school option to SSCV families. A student at VMS can train at an elite level with SSCV and receive a rigorous college-preparatory education without compromising either. As members of the VMS community, it also means that these athletes will have social enrichment and athletic opportunities beyond the mountain.
The mission of VMS is to Develop Character; Seek Knowledge; Build Community. Accredited by the Association of Colorado Independent Schools and a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, Vail Mountain School is the only independent kindergarten through twelfth grade school in Eagle and Summit counties. The school is proud of its continued reputation for excellence in education and placing its graduates in colleges and universities ranked among the top in the country.
At each grade level, teachers are acutely aware of the developmental stages and needs of students. Age-appropriate curriculum is designed for each level while maintaining a focus on elements of both academia and character enhancement. Students are encouraged to be independent in their contribution to the well-being of their school, their classmates and the community. VMS strongly believes that its graduates are prepared to contribute and succeed in an increasingly complex and demanding world.
VMS is located in Vail, five minutes from Vail’s Golden Peak base area and Clubhouse.
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An SSCV full-time applicant interested in attending VMS must be accepted as a full-time athlete by SSCV to be a part of an SSCV full-time program, and if not previously enrolled in VMS, should contact the VMS Admissions Director for information on the VMS admission application process.
Red Sandstone Elementary School (RSES)
As reflected in its mission statement, Red Sandstone Elementary School, a K-5 Eagle County public school, is a collaborative learning community inspiring excellence for all. In early 2017, RSES and SSCV formed the first ever cooperative arrangement that enables elementary-aged students in the Vail Valley to ski or snowboard competitively on a full-time basis while providing a schedule that meets their unique academic needs. RSES is located in Vail, Colorado just minutes from SSCV’s Golden Peak base area and Clubhouse.
The SSCV/RSES cooperative arrangement which made its debut in the 2017-2018 season was carefully crafted by SSCV and Eagle County Schools to enable third-, fourth- and fifth-graders enrolled in a qualified SSCV program to train on snow four days per week (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday)* with an after training study hall proctored by the SSCV/RSES Program Coordinator on the Wednesday and Friday afternoons for students that miss school for training. The offering is currently in place for alpine, mogul, freeski and snowboard athletes. The arrangement allows the youngest of SSCV’s full-time athletes to develop strategies to achieve academic and athletic proficiencies at a very young age.
The SSCV/RSES cooperative arrangement expands the partnership between SSCV and Eagle County Schools, reflecting SSCV’s ongoing commitment to accessibility coupled with SSCV’s financial aid program.
- An SSCV full-time applicant interested in being part of the SSCV/RSES cooperative arrangement and attending RSES must be accepted as a full-time athlete by SSCV in a qualified SSCV four day a week full-time program* to be a part of that SSCV full-time program and approved by RSES to participate in this cooperative arrangement.
*comprised of two half days mid-week and Saturdays and Sundays as calendared