The organization was incorporated for the purposes of promotion, education, and setting of standards for ski and snowboard instruction by professional ski and snowboard instructors.

The american snowsports education association, doing business as the professional ski instructors of america (psia) and american association of snowboard instructors (aasi), is a nonprofit association dedicated to promoting the sports of skiing and snowboarding through instruction. Psia- aasi establishes credentialing standards for snowsports instructors and develops education materials to be used as the core components of instructor training for teaching skiing, snowboarding, and safety to the public. Psia-aasi supports research and development of instructional programs in alpine skiing, nordic skiing, and snowboarding. The association also develops education materials and programs to serve specific snowsports populations, such as children and adaptive skiers and riders.