Click here to view a beautiful three-minute video that helps give you a view of what we do.
New York City Inspiring Connections Outdoors (NYC ICO) is a 100% volunteer-run program which engages youth partners to co-create affirming experiences for youth with limited access to nature. We seek a more just, equitable, and inclusive movement that demands access to the outdoors for all.
ICO is part of the Outdoors for All campaign, which works to expand universal access to nature for youth. When asked about the barriers to spending time outdoors, America’s youth cite a lack of nearby access and transportation as some of the top reasons. The Sierra Club’s Inspiring Connections Outdoors program works to reduce barriers to entry by providing gear, transportation, funding, and training to ensure that all people have opportunities to explore, enjoy, and advocate for nature. NYC ICO covers all trip expenses, including transportation and food.
The national ICO group was established in 1970 by the San Francisco Bay chapter of the Sierra Club. Currently, there are 43 ICO groups in cities across the nation, all of which are overseen by the national Sierra Club. The New York City Chapter of ICO was begun in 1981. We currently have approximately 30 adult certified leaders and 40 youth certified leaders who conduct trips with children from ten community-based agencies and schools. For its part, NYC ICO supplies at least one or two designated trip leaders, as well as assistants. Agencies are encouraged to have their own staff come along on outings, which take place approximately every four to eight weeks. Currently, we are working with one agency and nine schools (3rd-12th grade).
NYC ICO provides a continuity of outings for youth of various levels of difficulty, which build trust among leaders and participants. Agency partner members are primarily Black or African-American, Asian-American, and Latinx, and NYCICO strives to create an equitable and diverse environment and volunteer base, to better support both the youth and volunteers. Our trips offer an experience that provides increased exposure to nature for young people living in New York City, to better enjoy nature both in and out of the city.
Our all-volunteer organization contains over three hundred members. Group leaders must be certified in wilderness first-aid and are screened via the N.Y. State Central Registry for Child Abuse and Neglect. The NYC ICO program is made possible by its volunteers who give generously of their time and skills, and by donations of money and equipment made from its supporters. Financial support from foundations, corporations, and individuals is always needed and appreciated. If you are interested in helping support this incredible organization, please make your tax deductible donation here.
NOTE: In July 2014, ICO went through a conscious rebranding in an effort to align with a more just mission and purpose. Inner City Outings, after an extensive process, officially changed its name to Inspiring Connections Outdoors, though the mission remains the same. You can read more about it here.