Mountaineering & Adventure | Scholarships for Women and Gender-Diverse Adventurers
Every year, the Summit Scholarship program offers a series of women’s mountaineering stipends to help break down the barriers to entry to the big mountain realm for women from all walks of life. With gender equity at the heart of our mission, the Summit Scholarship program now also includes scholarships for gender-diverse adventurers.
The Summit Scholarship started in 2019 with a single $5000 expedition stipend to Island Peak and Everest Basecamp in Nepal (read more). Since then, we have funded over $130,000 in mountaineering and backcountry scholarships for Kilimanjaro, Mt Shasta, and Mt Baker, the Paria, the Grand Canyon, the Cordillera Blanca, Australia’s Snowy Mountains, and Aconcagua - with more destinations in the making.
Each Summit Scholarship recipient typically receives full coverage of their expedition fee as well as top-notch mountaineering footwear from LOWA Boots and other relevant outdoor gear from our program supporters.
The Summit Scholarship is there for all of us to dream big together. Let’s go climbing!
Why Women’s* Mountaineering Scholarships?
Glass ceilings, pay gaps, career drop-out rates, and a participation gap across many different fields - we all know many of the buzz words of gender equality and women empowerment.
At the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation, we are closing the gender gap - one mountain at a time. We know first hand how life-changing it is to step outside your comfort zone on a high altitude peak like Kilimanjaro, or in the Himalayas.
*It all started with the mission to bring more women into the high-altitude realm and share the empowering adventure of pushing hard in challenging environments. With gender equity at the core of our work, we are excited to go a step beyond “just” women empowerment and also help break down barriers to access also for women-aligned and gender-diverse adventurers.
#ClimbForEquality
Women-focused mountaineering adventures can be a transformative experience. Just read this testimony from Melissa, our 2019 Summit Scholarship recipient who participated in an AWE expedition to Everest Basecamp and Island Peak in the Himalayas:
"If I had to choose one major take away from this trip it would be recognizing the potential we all have for achieving things if we truly commit the time and energy to bringing them about...
...being around strong women who have not backed down in going after incredible things has been truly uplifting, and I want to continue to carry on and promote this spirit with the kickass ladies in my life. Thanks AWExpeditions for helping women see how achievable these goals are."
2024 Program Timeline
Applications open: December 15 2023
Applications close: January 31 2024
Recipient announcements: by March 15 2024
Scholarship expeditions: June through December 2024