Denver, CO – At its 47th Annual Meeting last week in Denver, Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced the addition of a major new component to its popular 5th grade passport program: one complementary ski lesson, including rental equipment, for 5th grade passport holders who are new to the sport.nLessons will be provided during the month of January as part of January Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month. Parents of 5th graders signed up for the Colorado Ski Country Passport will be provided with information about the opportunity for their child to learn to ski and can choose from among 22 Colorado Ski Country USA member resorts where to have their introductory experience on snow.

“There are many 5th graders who want to ski or ride, but who haven’t tried our state’s signature sports before and who don’t know how to begin,” explained Melanie Mills, CSCUSA’s President and CEO. “We are doing this so more kids can learn to ski and snowboard here in Colorado and can grow up with the confidence to navigate Colorado’s mountains.”

Next year will mark the 15th season of Colorado Ski Country USA’s 5th Grade Passport program, which provides three days of free skiing at each participating CSCUSA member resort. Through its history, the program has helped nearly 200,000 kids ski or snowboard.

Four of the state’s largest ski resorts — Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek — are owned and operated by Vail Resorts, which pulled out of membership in CSCUSA in 2008 and thus don’t participate in the CSCUSA passport program. Although the company maintains a similar program for its own ski resorts, no announcement has been made regarding whether or not Vail Resorts will follow suit with free lessons at its Colorado ski areas.

The original objective of the 5th grade passport was to give every kid who grows up in Colorado the opportunity to learn to ski or ride. Adding this new component to the 5th grade program will help make sure that it fulfills this original promise, CSCUSA officials indicate.

“Now kids who grow up in Colorado will not only enjoy free skiing when they are in 5th grade, but for kids who haven’t learned to ski or ride by this age, Colorado Ski Country resorts will teach you how,” says Mills.

Applications for 2010-11 5th Grade Passports will be available this fall.