Upper Austria Winter Sports Days and Winter Sports Weeks

In the state of Upper Austria, the state government supports kindergarten and compulsory school children up to the 13th grade with a 100% subsidy program for participation in ski courses in local ski resorts. Within the framework of the Upper Austria Winter Sports Days, a maximum of three half-days per child are sponsored, while the Upper Austria Winter Sports Weeks include lift vouchers usable free of charge for at least four consecutive days. The aim of this funding is to reduce the financial burden on parents and to sustainably promote the sporting activities of children and adolescents within the school or supervised setting. The ascent aids (lifts, cable cars) are applied for directly through the Family Department and exchanged on site for regular lift tickets upon presentation of the vouchers.

Eligible for funding are kindergartens in Upper Austria as well as public and publicly authorized schools located in Upper Austria that conduct ski courses during instructional or supervised time. Applications are submitted exclusively online via the respective kindergarten management or school principal, with a participant list of the children taking part to be attached. Applications must be submitted no later than two weeks before the start of the course. Another requirement is that the ski course takes place in a designated ski area of Upper Austria. Through this simple and unbureaucratic procedure, the program facilitates access to winter sports activities and strengthens the health promotion of children and adolescents in the region.