North Face Launches The Allyship In The Outdoors Course
The North Face launches the Allyship in the Outdoors course, a new digital tool aimed at changing the way organisations, communities and individuals view allyship and racial inclusion.
The course is one of the resulting outputs from the Explore Fund Council, the group brought together from multiple sectors including sport, academia and media to help direct and shape The North Face funding to break down systemic barriers to exploration.
Designed with three key pillars, the programme aims to engage, educate and support action, helping people who take the course to not only understand the issues faced by people of colour in the outdoors, but the barriers which create them and ultimately how allyship can be a force for positive change.
Developed in partnership with leading social impact and sport consultancy, thinkBeyond, the course focuses on five key outdoor sports, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, trail running and hiking. With this broad sport set the course is suitable for everyone from instructors and coaches to governing bodies, brands and charities.
To support its validity and depth, members of The North Face Athlete and Explorer Team including Molly Thompson-Smith and David Djite have shared their real lived experiences of racial exclusion, offering insights to issues that people of colour face in the outdoors and with outdoor sports.
The Allyship in The Outdoors course is a free resource, funded by The North Face Explore Fund alongside a grant from The VF Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The North Face’s parent company, VF Corporation. To take the course, simply sign up to The North Face XPLR pass programme and follow the online instructions – it’s that simple.
For any questions relating to the course, please take a look at the quick guide below or contact a member of our team.
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The North Face Allyship Course - Q&A
Q – How will I be able to access the course?
A – The course will be hosted on Opening Up The Outdoors and accessed via The North Face XPLR pass.
Q – Who is the course for?
A – Outdoor organisations, coaches, instructors, brands and anyone who wishes to learn more.
Q – Why should our organisation take the course?
A – To educate individuals within your organisation on the barriers that people of colour face in the outdoors and to learn how to be an effective ally.
Q – Is the course free to take?
A – Yes! The course is gifted to the outdoor industry by The North Face and The VF Foundation at no cost to take.
Q – When will the course launch?
A – The course is available to complete now with further phases added in 2024.
Q – How long is the course?
A – The course is broken up into four 10 min modules and the whole course should take no longer than one hour to complete. You will be able to log in and out to complete the course over time.
Q – What do I get for completing the course?
A – You will receive a shareable certification and a downloaded summary of the course with further resources and links for continued learning. You will also receive a discount code to be used at The North Face as a thank you for participating.
Q – Is the course accredited?
A – Yes – the plan is to accredit the course through Mountain Training Association for 0.25 CPD Points.
Q – Who do I contact if I have any questions?
A – Please reach out to The North Face contacts listed below with any questions.
