The Grassroots Upper Clutha Primary Schools Initiative, established by Wanaka Ski and Snowsports Club committee member Bob Irwin, gives one pupil from each of the area's five primary schools a grant towards their snow sports instruction for 2013 and a family membership to the club.
The programme also matches each child with one of the club's senior high-performing athletes and potential 2014 winter Olympians, who will visit the school of their young protege and report back to them on their international journey via blogs and other social media.
The goal was primarily to ''get people enjoying the mountains and participating in snow sports of any kind'', club secretary Bonny Teat said.
However, it also aimed to increase children's awareness of what they could achieve if they wished to pursue their snow sports dreams.
The pupils selected for the programme are: Angus Wallis, of Makarora School; Thomas Benson, of Holy Family School; Isabella Soper, of Wanaka Primary School; Jack Willson, of Tarras School; and Imogen Dougherty, of Hawea Flat School.
It was a ''lovely coincidence'' that some of the children nominated by their schools came from families with a previous club connection, Mr Irwin said.
Isabella's mother was a former ski racer and Angus' father was a founding member of the club and the first ski race trainee at Treble Cone.
Mr Irwin said it did not matter if the selected children chose not to pursue a snow sports career as their big buddies had.
''If they go down that road, fantastic. But if they just learn to love the sport as much as those people love the sport then we're already winning.''
