North Woodstock, NH – Ski New Hampshire, the statewide association representing 38 alpine and cross-country ski resorts throughout the state, is inviting fourth and fifth grade students to participate in its annual Earn Your Turns program and Snowsports Passport program. The programs make it easier for children and their families to enjoy snowsports more frequently, and introduce skiing and snowboarding to kids who haven’t tried them yet.

The fourth grade Earn Your Turns program provides fun incentives for kids to develop and reinforce basic skills such as research, reading and writing by doing a project on the history of skiing in New Hampshire. Once the project is complete, students submit their project to their fourth grade teacher. The teacher reviews each project and, if it is satisfactory, submits the student’s name to Ski NH. Ski NH then sends the qualified fourth grade student an Earn Your Turns passbook filled with vouchers for a free lift ticket and cross-country trail pass for each of the 38 member resorts of Ski NH, as well as savings on lift tickets and trail passes for parents and siblings, rental packages, lessons and more.

The fifth grade Snowsports Passport program offers a book of lift ticket vouchers for the fifth grader and other savings for family members. The fifth grade book costs $25, with $5 donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire. The book consists of one, two, or three lift tickets or trail passes for each of the 38 member resorts of Ski NH, as well as savings on lift tickets and trail passes for parents and siblings, rental packages, lessons and more. To receive a fifth grade passport, families simply complete an application available on SkiNH.com and forward it along with a copy of their fifth grader’s report card.

While the fourth grade program was created 15 years ago with the goal of helping kids to achieve at a higher standard academically, the fifth grade program was conceived six years ago to encourage kids and their families to become more active during the winter months.

“According to federal research, only 7.9% of kids are physically active three or more hours per day during the winter, as compared to 64.4% of kids during the summer. In a state blessed with so much snow and winter fun, Ski NH resorts want to make it as easy and affordable as possible for kids and their families to get outdoors, get active and have fun,” explained Kim Pickering, Ski NH’s program director.

More than 2,900 fifth graders participated in the program last year. According to Pickering, more than 5,300 students participated in the 4th grade Earn Your Turns program.

“The schools are excited about the program because it correlates to the New Hampshire history curriculum for fourth grade, and it creates a real incentive for students to use their imagination and creativity in each project,” said Pickering. “Parents enjoy the program because it enables families to enjoy outdoor activities at quite a savings at New Hampshire’s winter resorts.”

For more information, visit www.SkiNH.com.