The Utah Avalanche Center is a a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization partnering with the Forest Service. Our mission is to keep people on top of the Greatest Snow on Earth™. We do that by giving winter backcountry travelers the tools they need to stay alive and have fun in avalanche terrain. We cover the entire state of Utah and have offices in Logan, Salt Lake City, and Moab.
General Duties
Social Media -both Instagram, Facebook & Twitter -SEO marketing -Reaching out to other brands/ambassadors to make connections and promote our pages -Increase in followers. Instagram: +1,900 Facebook: +1,500 Black Diamond Fall Fundraiser -Increase in student participation due to marketing tactics around the University of Utah -Silent Auction organization 100+ items -Media coverage of event Know Before You Go -Presenter/ Avalanche Educator -engaging video & slide presentation with more details about how to spot avalanche danger, how to navigate in avalanche terrain, what gear to carry and how to use it, how to find a report of current avalanche conditions in your area, and how to learn more about avalanches Beaconreviews.com -Helped author/creator Steve Achelis in a study based on beacon accuracy -Details to be published REI Gear Talks -Talked to REI members and employees about avalanche safety gear -What type of gear is better -Which beacon transceivers have 2 antennas, 3 antennas -Explaining flux lines and signal reception Goals & Objectives -I will be able to effectively teach and spread awareness about Avalanche safety and the Avalanche Center to the public, due to my year of practice and training with the Utah Avalanche Center. I will complete a minimum of 3 talks a week throughout the remainder of the semester, to ensure that I gain more confidence and fine tune my skills as a snow safety educator. I will continue to keep up with our fundraising efforts, aiming to personally raise awareness throughout the college community and add a minimum of 50 students on to the mailing list. I will learn the ins and outs of a non profit by the time I’m done with the Utah Avalanche Center, participating in all aspects of the organization. I will participate in the creation of every balance sheet and monthly financial report that is published from now until the end of the semester. I will monitor the social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, using scheduled posts from an external site. I will manage various important projects that will benefit the Utah Avalanche Center immensely. Using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator I will create an online album of donated gear we have for sale to benefit the Utah Avalanche Center by 1/28/16. I will take on the setup and arrangement of creating more beacon practice parks in the area, including gaining permits from the Forest Service to create these practice zones. |
Overall, my internship was one of the best experiences I've been a part of due to the information learned and the connections that I made.