Behind the Scenes of the Summit Scholarship
It Takes a Village: A network of organizations that support gender equity in the outdoors
When the Summit Scholarship Foundation first took shape, we had no idea how many of you would become part of its story. Some of you came across us through a friend’s recommendation, others through a random search for “women’s mountaineering scholarships,” and some heard our name mentioned in a podcast without knowing much about the origin story of the Summit Scholarship. Others came here through AWExpeditions or Sunny Stroeer, both of whom have played an integral role in the Summit Scholarship’s trajectory. Whatever your path, you are at the heart of what we do.
What the Summit Scholarship Foundation does and doesn’t do
As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, we offer fully funded opportunities that cover the fees to participate in select guided all-women trips, gear, training and travel stipends. Our goal is to open the door to mountains, trails and deserts that might otherwise feel out of reach. We were created to address barriers to entry—economic, social, and cultural—especially for women and girls.
Behind the scenes, our team focuses on raising the funds, administering the scholarships, and sharing your stories with the world – work that requires a lot of coordination and care. We don’t operate expeditions or adventures ourselves; instead, we partner with affinity-based, women-led guide services and adventure travel companies that excel at creating inclusive, skill-building adventures. This ensures that the trip you join isn’t just any guided outing, but one designed around the supportive, empowering atmosphere you deserve.
You don’t need to know who guides what trip; you just need to bring your curiosity and readiness to grow. We choose our partners carefully so that, regardless of your starting point, you’re welcomed into a safe, supportive, women-centered environment.
The importance of affinity‑based partners
“It’s the people who make the summit.” That sentiment was not just the central theme of the Britt Noel’s beautiful Adventure Lens Grant movie Vamos A La Playa - it is also a statement that we have seen hold true over and over again. It’s why we don’t simply make funds available for women to join any mountaineering adventure, but why we create scholarships for specific guided trips with specific all-women organizations, where we have a high degree of confidence that the resulting experience is going to hold true to the value of the Summit Scholarship Foundation.
Summit Scholarship operating partners include:
She Moves Mountains - inclusive climbing retreats
She Moves Mountains is the kind of guiding outfit that welcomes you like an old friend. Co-founded by Lizzy Van Patten and based in Oregon, they’ve created a space where women—cis and trans—can discover their strength through intimate retreats and skills clinics. When we offer a Summit Scholarship spot on their Red River Gorge Climbing Retreat, we know the recipient will be learning from professional instructors in a supportive circle of women. It doesn’t matter whether you’re brand new to climbing or already comfortable on the rock; you’ll be encouraged to try, to push yourself, and to celebrate each small win alongside other women who understand what it means to be brave.
Upwards Transitions Institute – glacier travel with purpose
Upwards Transitions Institute is run by women who believe that everyone deserves to feel confident and capable in the backcountry, under the leadership of Victoria Garvin. They emphasize learning practical skills while honoring the land you travel through. When a scholarship recipient heads to Glacier Peak with their team, they’re not just checking a mountain off a list. They’re spending five days learning to travel on a glacier, practicing Leave No Trace ethics, and building friendships with other women and femme-identifying climbers. It’s a trip where you’re encouraged to redefine what success looks like and leave with a deeper connection to both the mountains and yourself.
Ma’wa Collective – adventure for Muslim women
Ma’wa Collective was founded by Nadah Feteih to give Muslim-American women a place to explore the outdoors without feeling out of place. When you join their Chamonix: Adventure in the Alps trip through the Summit Scholarship, you’re walking into a week in the mountains surrounded by sisters who share your faith and passion for exploration. Everything—from accommodations to guided hikes—is designed with your needs in mind. We love that this partnership allows recipients to explore the French Alps in a setting that honors their identities, fosters community, and encourages reflection in one of the most stunning landscapes in the world.
AWExpeditions – high-altitude mountaineering
AWExpeditions is where it all began for us, and it remains a core part of our family. Sunny Stroeer’s company specializes in taking all-women teams up some of the world’s most iconic peaks. When you receive a Summit Scholarship for an expedition led by AWE—like our Ishinca & Tocllaraju trip in Peru—you’re joining a team led by an experienced female guide and local experts. You’ll spend two weeks learning glacier travel and technical skills, building resilience, and experiencing the camaraderie of an all-women rope team. AWE is the partner we are likely to turn to for scholarships that focus on big peaks and high altitude.
The relationship between the Summit Scholarship Foundation and AWExpeditions
In the early years of the Summit Scholarship, all scholarship opportunities were connected to trips led by one specific company: AWExpeditions. That’s no coincidence. AWExpeditions, founded by Sunny Stroeer, was the incubator where the very first Summit Scholarship concept took shape. In fact, for many years, Sunny wore two hats—one as a business owner guiding all-women expeditions, and another as the founder of the Summit Scholarship non-profit that would eventually stand on its own feet.
At the time, it made sense to send recipients on AWE trips. “We knew exactly how to create the kind of environment we wanted—supportive, women-led, and designed for growth,” Sunny recalls. “Because of that, the early scholarships were all tied to our expeditions.” Those first years allowed the Summit Scholarship Foundation to refine its partner selection process and understand what scholarship recipients needed most.
As word spread and the Foundation’s mission resonated with more and more applicants, it became clear that the scholarship could and should reach beyond a single company. Sunny explains it this way: “AWExpeditions will always be part of the Summit Scholarship’s DNA, but I didn’t want the program’s impact to be limited by the scope of AWE - nor did we want the Summit Scholarship to be a marketing arm for AWE. Instead, we wanted to use the collective impact of the Summit Scholarship to help elevate the stories of not “just” our applicants and scholarship recipients, but also of an ecosystem of women-led guide services which are all working hard to change the narrative of who belongs in the mountains in their own regions and areas of expertise. We wanted to make space for more women, different kinds of adventures, and varied communities.”
That vision led to two parallel developments: the Summit Scholarship separated from AWExpeditions to became a standalone 501(c)(3) with its own board and fundraising strategy, and it expanded its roster of operating partners. Today, AWExpeditions remains one of several trusted guide services that host scholarship recipients. As the birthplace of the Summit Scholarship, AWExpeditions also donates a portion of its profits to the Foundation, and many scholarships still take place on AWE’s women-only high-altitude climbs and mountaineering courses. But the Foundation also collaborates with other women-centered organizations—each chosen because they uphold the same commitment to inclusivity, skill-building and a supportive environment.
In short, the Summit Scholarship’s early reliance on AWExpeditions wasn’t a fluke; it was a deliberate step that laid a strong foundation. Now, with multiple partners and a growing community, the Summit Scholarship Foundation honors those roots while ensuring that its opportunities reflect the diverse needs and dreams of the women who apply.
Why partnership matters
Selecting operating partners is not just about logistics; it’s about aligning with the Summit Scholarship’s mission of empowerment, equity and supportive environments. Affinity spaces are crucial because they create safe, empowering environments where participants can grow their skills and confidence. We know that each of our partners brings specific strengths: She Moves Mountains excels at fostering encouragement on the rock wall; Upwards Transitions emphasizes learning and respect for Indigenous lands; Ma’wa Collective centres Muslim women and creates space for faith‑informed adventure; AWE provides high‑altitude expertise and a track record of women‑led expeditions.
By working with several partners, we do what we can to ensure that scholarship recipients don’t just receive a check – instead, they become part of a community that reflects their identities and supports their growth. The partnership model also expands our scholarships’ reach across different disciplines and landscapes, from glacier climbs to sport‑climbing retreats to international hiking adventures. And when Summit Scholarship recipients return home, they carry new skills, confidence and stories that inspire others.
Looking ahead
The Summit Scholarship Foundation remains committed to closing the gender gap in outdoor adventure one climb at a time. Its evolution from a single scholarship within AWExpeditions to an independent nonprofit with multiple affinity‑based partners shows what’s possible when community, vision and collaboration converge. No matter if you are a donor, an aspiring mountaineer or someone who simply cares about equity, there are many ways to get involved - in the form of making a donation, by spreading the word, or by simply encouraging women in your own community to apply. With the support of partners and advocates like you, we will continue to unlock big‑mountain experiences for women from all walks of life - to ensure that the summit is a place where everyone belongs.
