Get Involved

We are 100% volunteer run!

NYC Inspiring Connections Outdoors is a Sierra Club program that is completely run by volunteers. We welcome new volunteers to the New York City ICO group and there are many ways to become involved as a NYC ICO volunteer. To start, potential volunteers first attend an orientation and then go on trips with the kids under the leadership of a more experienced NYC ICO volunteer who is a Certified Outdoor Leader. Volunteers with a little experience can become Certified Leaders In Training (or Assistant Leaders). And, since we are expanding the number of organizations we work with, we need more Certified Leaders. We have a program to train volunteers to fill this role. There are also many roles within the NYC ICO organization that need to be filled in addition to working on. So, we welcome your participation. There's lots to do and lots of fun to be had doing it. And be assured that whatever you give will be returned to you many times in satisfaction and good memories.
 
 

Steps to becoming a NYC ICO volunteer

● Attend a new volunteer orientation. See the Events page for the next ICO meeting or email nycico.newvolunteer@gmail.com.  PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY EMAILED NEWVOLUNTEER.NYCICO@GMAIL.COM, WE HAVE LOST ACCESS TO THIS ACCOUNT AND ALL ASSOCIATED COMMUNICATION.  PLEASE EMAIL THE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS, NYCICO.NEWVOLUNTEER@GMAIL.COM TO GET LOOPED BACK IN!
● Complete the Volunteer application and sign the ICO Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct to be signed at New Volunteer Orientation).
● Join the Sierra Club. Click here to join.  Also join the Meetup.com group, which will give you access to all upcoming trips (access granted once you've attended the New Volunteer Orientation)
 
● To keep up with what's going on in New York ICO, subscribe to the NYICO listserve, To subscribe, send an email to LISTSERV@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG. Leave the subject blank, and put INFO OA-ICO-NYC-FORUM in the body.
● Once you are on the list serve, you can post messages by sending email to  
● To get off the OA-ICO-NYC-FORUM list, send any message to: OA-ICO-NYC-FORUM-signoff-request@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG.
 

Steps to becoming an NYC ICO Partner Agency

Steps required to become a certified NYC ICO agency partner:

  • Contact NYCICO Chair at sierraclub.nycico@gmail.com to express interest
  • Fill out two forms: New Agency Letter of Agreement and New Agency Application
  • Have one to two certified leaders dedicated to the program.  If NYCICO does not currently have available certified leaders, we can provide training to get a member of your organization certified.  Steps required for certification are below.  

What Inspiring Connections Outdoors provides for our partner agencies:

  • Full access to our 150+ experienced volunteers, who will receive an announcement and opportunity to RSVP through meetup.com any time you have a trip coming up
  • Insurance coverage through Sierra Club (the trip leader and all volunteers must be Sierra Club members: join here)
  • The experience and expertise of our dozen or so Certified Leaders that have been running trips in the NY area for many years
  • Funding assistance for trip costs like transportation and food as well as equipment (camping, clothing, hiking, etc).  We have a few fundraising activities per year- past fundraising activities have been hosting an Adventure Film Festival, Hikeathons, and gift wrapping at REI.  We are responsible for our own funding.

Our groups have run trips ranging from nature walks through Central Park up to and including 10-day backpacking trips, and everything in between: day hikes, ice skating, backpacking, skiing, white water rafting, museum visits, and more.

Steps to become an ICO Certified Leader:

  • Attend our New Volunteer Orientation, held quarterly (email nycico.newvolunteer@gmail.com for details)
  • Complete New Volunteer Application and Code of Ethics (available when you rsvp for New Volunteer Orientation)
  • Maintain current Sierra Club membership (join here)
  • Complete a background check
  • Wilderness First Aid certification (available all throughout the year though ICO offers it in January)
  • Attend our Outdoor Leadership Training
  • Shadowing one of our certified leaders on at least 2 trips to get a feel for our pre-trip planning, trip announcements, forms, procedures, and expense reporting process, provisionally leading one trip
  • Receive the blessing of the Chair!