Announcing the formation of the Professional Climbing Instructors’ Association

January 13, 2008 - Press Release

The Professional Climbing Instructors' Association (PCIA) is a non-profit, member-based organization offering educational innovation and instructional choice for climbing instructors. The PCIA's mission is to provide technical and educational content to all levels of the instructional climbing community and to teach best practices that improve the safety, quality and delivery of technical climbing instruction.

The PCIA was established to specifically serve the needs of climbing instructors--those people who introduce thousands to the sport of climbing each year whether they are in a climbing gym or in a natural environment. The PCIA strives to help create great climbing educators--people who are capable climbers, technically proficient, and passionate about teaching climbing.

Educational programs are the nucleus of the PCIA and reflect the continuing evolution of climbing instructor education in the United States. The sequentially designed courses recognize the important differences and similarities that exist between climbing instruction that takes place on artificial structures, base managed, top managed and single pitch climbing sites.

By providing a consistent, standardized approach to entry level climbing instruction the PCIA seeks to improve the safety of climbing at all levels. Available in convenient 1-3 day teaching modules, the PCIA courses are well suited to various forms of climbing instruction. The current course line-up is as follows:

The PCIA Climbing Wall Instructor™ course serves the manufactured climbing wall community while the Base Managed Climbing Instructor™program reaches out to the climbing instructor working at the cliff bottom.

The one day Top Managed Climbing Instructor™ course emphasizes essential skills for managing climbs from the top of a cliff. When lead climbing is required to set up top rope climbs, the Single Pitch Climbing Instructor™ course teaches the skills required to then either run the site from the bottom, or mid-cliff. The curriculum of the PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor course has never been offered to the American climbing instructor community until now. The course is a great bridge to more advanced guide training courses.

The PCIA offers a reciprocity option for those with other certifications and a seamless transition from other educational programs with minimal repetition of material. A certification challenge is available to practicing professionals possessing a wealth of experience and formal training. For those in need of credentialing we offer voluntary certification options and an Accreditation Program that is recognized by the National Park Service.

The PCIA, through the already well-established network of regional and national outdoor education conferences, will offer open clinics, workshops and continuing education programs designed around sharing technical ideas and innovations.

The 2008 roll out will focus on delivering the core set of courses and on building a solid instructor pool. The PCIA seeks the best of the best to serve in this group.

Visit www.pcia.us to join or to learn more - there are a wide range of membership levels starting at just $25! The PCIA welcomes your involvement.

Contact information

Email: info@pcia.us Phone: 207-461-3472

Article from OutdoorEd.com

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posted by Jay @ 1/18/2008, ,


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