Mountain Education Centre of New Zealand facts for kids

The Mountain Education Centre of New Zealand (MECNZ) used to be a part of Tai Poutini Polytechnic. It was located in Wānaka, New Zealand. Today, Tai Poutini Polytechnic still offers the Ski Patrol Programme from its campus in Wānaka.

The day lodge facilities for students on the ski patrol course.

Becoming a Ski Patroller

The Ski Patrol programme teaches you how to be a professional ski patroller. It is run by Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Wānaka. A special classroom is also set up at the Treble Cone snowsports area in Wānaka. During winter, students spend a lot of time learning right on the snow!

This exciting program starts with some online learning for about three weeks. Then, the hands-on training begins in Wānaka in mid-February and continues until late September.

What You Learn

The main things you will learn in this program include:

• First Aid and Emergency Care: How to help people who are hurt or sick before they get to a hospital.
• Avalanche Safety: Learning about avalanches and how to stay safe in the backcountry.
• Understanding Weather: How to read weather patterns, which is very important in the mountains.
• Advanced Skiing and Snowboarding: Improving your skills to handle all types of snow and terrain.
• Ski Patrol Operations: How a ski patrol team works every day to keep the mountain safe.
• Teamwork and Professionalism: Working well with others and acting responsibly.
• Using Rescue Toboggans: Learning to use special sleds to transport injured people down the mountain.
• Basic Mountain Skills: Simple mountaineering and how to use ropes for safety.
• Chairlift Rescue: How to safely get people off a chairlift if it stops working.
• Snow Safety Techniques: Methods used to control snow hazards, like making snow safe for skiers.

Where It's Located

The Tai Poutini Polytechnic ski patrol program is based in the beautiful town of Wānaka.